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COUNTIES 


OF 


WHITE  AND  PULASKI 


INTJI^M^. 


w 


HISTORICAL  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL. 


ILXjTJSTI^J^a?EI3. 


CHICAGO: 

F.  A.  BATTEY  &  CO..  PUBLISHERS. 

1883. 


TEE  NEW  lOEK 

PUBLIC  LDSiHY 

385i2B 

7&        iim       h 


PREFACE. 


THIS  volume  goes  forth  to  our  patrons  the  result  of  uiontlis  of  arduous,  un- 
remitting and  conscientious  labor.  None  so  well  know  as  those  who  have 
been  associated  with  ns  the  almost  insurmountable  difticulties  to  be  met  with 
in  the  preparation  of  a  work  of  this  character.  Since  tlie  inauguration  of  the 
enterprise,  a  large  force  has  been  employed — both  local  and  others — in  gath- 
ering material.  During  this  time,  most  of  the  citizens  of  both  counties 
have  been  called  upon  to  contribute  from  their  recollections,  carefully  pre- 
served letters,  scraps  of  manuscript,  printed  fragments,  memoranda,  etc. 
Public  records  and  semi-official  documents  have  been  searched,  the  news- 
paper tiles  of  the  counties  have  been  overhauled,  and  former  citizens,  now 
living  out  of  the  counties,  have  been  corresponded  with,  all  for  the  purpose 
of  making  the  record  as  complete  as  could  be,  and  for  the  verification  of  the 
information  by  a  conference  with  many.  In  gathering  from  these  numerous 
sources,  both  for  the  historical  and  biographical  departments,  the  conflicting 
statements,  the  discrepancies  and  the  fallible  and  incomjilete  nature  of  pub- 
lic documents,  were  almost  appalling  to  our  historians  and  biographers,  who 
were  expected  to  weave  therefrom  with  some  degree  of  accuracy,  in  panoramic 
review,  a  record  of  events.  Members  of  the  same  families  disagree  as  to  the 
spelling  of  the  family  name,  contradict  each  other's  statements  as  to  dates  of 
birth,  of  settlement  in  the  counties,  nativity  and  other  matters  of  fact.  In 
this  entangled  condition,  we  have  given  preference  to  the  preponderance  of 
authority,  and  while  we  acknowledge  the  existence  of  errors  and  our  inability 
to  furnish  a  perfect  history,  we  claim  to  have  come  up  to  the  standard  of  our 
promises,  and  given  as  complete  and  accurate  a  work  as  the  nature  of  the 
surroundings  would  permit.  Whatever  may  be  the  verdict  of  those  who  do 
not  and  will  not  comprehend  the  ditflculties  to  be  met  with,  we  feel  assured 
that  all  just  and  thoughtful  people  will  appreciate  our  eflTorts,  and  recognize 
the  importance  of  the  undertaking  and  the  great  public  benefit  that  has  been 
accomplished  in  preserving  the  valuable  historical  matter  of  the  counties  and 
biographies  of  many  of  their  citizens,  that  perhaps  would  otherwise  have  passed 
into  oblivion.  To  those  who  have  given  us  their  support  and  encourage- 
ment, and  they  are  many,  we  acknowledge  our  gratitude,  and  can  assure 
them  that  as  years  go  b}'  the  book  will  grow  in  value  as  a  repository  not 
only  of  pleasing  reading  matter,  but  of  treasured  information  of  the  past 
that  will  become  a  monument  more  enduring  than  marble. 

October,  1883.  THE   PUBLISHERS. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  L-HISTORY   OF  WHITE   COUNTY. 


CHAPTEK  I. 

PAGE. 

Act  of  Formation 15 

Agricultural  Society 33 

Alarms,  Indian 14 

Assessors 41 

Associate  Judges 42 

Auditors 40 

Cession  Treaties,  Indian 13 

Changes  of  Boundaries 17 

Circuit  Court,  Sessions  of 19 

Circuit  Judges 41 

Clerks 41 

Common  Pleas  Judges 42 

County  Agents 41 

County  Commissioners 40 

County  Library 26 

County  Seat  Question 35 

County  Seminary 26 

County  Statistics,  1880 36 

Court  Houses  and  Jails 24 

Drainage 12 

Educational  Statistics 37 

Election  Tables 43 

Introductory 11 

Location  of  County  Seat 20 

Medical  Society 34 

Mound-Builders,  The 12 

Old  Settlers' Association 36 

Paupers,  County 31 

Politics 42 

Population 36 

Probate  Judges 42 

Proceedings  of  Commissioners 21 

Recapitulation  of  Taxes,  1882 39 

Recorders 41 

School  Examiners 41 

Seminarv  Trustees 41 

Sheriffs..' 40 

Soil,  The 1-2 

Statistics  of  Interest 29 

Surveyors 41 

Three  Per  Cent  Commissioners 41 

Treasurers 40 

CHAPTER  II. 

Additional  Volunteers 59 

Aid  to  Soldiers,  The  First 55 

Another  Company 66 

Bounty  and  Relief 72 

Bowman's  Company 60 

Call  to  Arms 51 

Company,  The  First 57 

Continued  Efforts  at  Enlistment .59 

County  Conventions 61 

Drafts,   The 61-68 

First  Sacrifice,  The 52 

Flag  and  Sword  Presentation .58 

Fourth  of  July,  1S62 61 

Fourth  of  July,  1863 65 

Husband  Wanted 62 

Infantry,   Twelfth 74 

Infantry,  Sixty-third 7o 

Infantry,  Ninety-ninth 7o 

Infantry,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth 75 

Infantry,  OnejHundred  and  Twenty-eighth...  76 

Joy  and  Sorrow 72 

Loyalty 54 

Mexican  War 48 

Militia,  County 47 


PAGE. 

Military  Committees 67 

Number  of  Men  Furnished 69 

Opening  Scenes .51 

Patriotism  in  Monticello ,52 

Presidential  Campaign  of  1860 49 

Recruits 67 

Regiments,  Sketches  of 74 

Renewed  Eflforts 66 

Roll  of  Honor 76 

Sanitary  Efforts 71 

Subsequent  Enlistments 58 

Union  Meeting  at  Norway 53 

War  of  1812 48 

War  Meetings 56-62 

White  County  Companies 70 


TOWNSHIP   IIISTOK9£S. 

CHAPTER  III. 

Union  Township , 79 

Banking 95 

Elections,  Early 80 

Election  of  November,  1.836 80 

High  School  Building 106 

Hydraulic  Companies 94 

Industries 89 

Mills 85 

Monticello 86 

Monticello's  Incorporation  and  Town  Of- 
ficers     97 

Monticello's  Early  Schools 103 

'  Monticello's  First  Building 89 

Monticello's  First  Plat 88 

Monticello  Items 96 

Monticello's  Later  Merchants,  etc 92 

Monticello's  Present  Business  Interests...     93 

Mt.  Walleston  Village 85 

Newspapers,  Early 100 

Norway  Village 85 

Norwegians,  The 83 

Proceedings  of  Town  Board 99 

Prof.  G.  Bowman's  School 105 

Religious  Organizations,  Early 108 

School  Bonds 107 

School  Trustees 108 

Secret  Societies 102 

Settler,  First 83 

Wool  Carding 84 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Prairie  Township 112 

Birth,  First 119 

Bridges 125 

Brookston,  Town  of. 121 

Churches 120 

Creation  of  Township 113 

Death,  First 119 

Landholders,  First 11( 

Marriage,  First 119 

Masonic   Lodge 119 

Mills,  Earlv 129 

Poll  Lists,  Early 114 

Pioneer  Schools 118 

Press,  The 126 

Settlement 112 

Springboro  Village 119 

Storm  of  Sleet 125 

Surface  Features 125 


(XJNTENTS. 


CHAPTER    V. 

PAOK. 

Honey  Crkkk  Township 126 

Birth,  First 130 

Churches 133 

Death,  First 130 

Elections,  First 128 

Mills 129 

Miscellaneous 135 

Newspapers 135 

Officers,  First 128 

Railways 130 

Reynolds,  Town  of 130 

Reynolds,  Incorporation  of 134 

Schools 133 

Secret  Societies 132 

Settlement,  First 127 

CHAPTER  VI. 

.Jackson  Township 136 

Agricultural  Association US 

Anti-Slavery  Petition 142 

A  Storm 145 

Birth,  First 141 

Burnettsville 144 

Churches 151 

Creation  of  Township 138 

Death,  First 141 

Kkctions,  First 139 

I'ariiiiiiLtton  Seminary 145 

(ianic f 140 

Idaville 146 

Indians 140 

Jurors ^ 141 

Marriage,  First 141 

Morality 141 

Mornionisui 143 

Oldest  Resident 153 

Post  Offices 144 

Schools 141 

Settlement,  First 136 

Sharon 145 

Town  of  Hannah 14R 

Violent  Deaths 147 

Vital  Statistics 141 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Princeton  Township 154 

Ague  in  1844 157 

Birth,  First 158 

Boundaries  of  Township 155 

Churches 158 

Creation  of  Township 155 

Death,  First 158 

Elections,  Early 156 

Flood  of  1844 157 

Justices  of  the  Peace 162 

Marriage,  First 158 

Origin  of  Name 155 

Railroad 159 

Schools 158 

Seafleld  Station 159 

Secret  Societies 161 

Settlement,  First '54 

Tavern,  First 159 

Wolcott,  Town  of. t 159 

Wolcott's  Present  Business 161 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

MoNON  Township 163 

Birth,  First 170 

Dead  Town,  A 166 

Death,  First 170 

Early  Comers 164 

Elections,  Early 163 

Indian  Mounds 109 

Indian  Scare 165 

Mills,  Early 171 

Miscellaneous  Items 176 

New  Bradford,  Town  of. 173 

Pioneer  Life 169 

Post  Offices 172 

Religious  Organizations 175 

Schools  and  Teachers 174 

Secret  Society 176 

Settlement 164 

Suicides,  etc 175 

Wedding,  First 170 


CHAPTKB  IX. 

PAGK. 

Big  Ckbek  Town.ship 178 

Ague 183 

Birth,  First 183 

Black  Hawk  War 182 

Chalmers  Village 188 

Deer  and  Wolf  Hunt  of  1840 187 

Death,  First 183 

Early  Difficulties 183 

Elections,  Early 180 

Hotel,  First 183 

Indians 182 

Internal  Improvements 184 

Land  Pantries 181 

Marriage,  First 183 

Preachers,  Early 184 

Schools 184 

Settlers,  First 178 

Spencer  House 181 

Wheeler  Station 184 

CHAPTER  X. 

Liberty  Township 189 

Churches 194 

Creation  of  Township 192 

Death,  First 193 

Elections,  First 192 

Land  Entries,  First 190 

f        Marriage,  First...... 193 

Miscellaneous 196 

Pioneer  Homes 191 

Post  Offices ., 195 

Schools,   Early 193 

Tax  Payers  of  1843 190 

CHAPTER  XI. 

West  Point  Township 196 

Birth,  First 200 

Death,  First 200 

Election,  First 199 

Formation  of  Township 198 

Forney  Post  Office 201 

Land  Entries,  Fir,';! 199 

Marriage,  First 200 

Meadow  Lake  Farm 201 

Ministers  and  Churches 200 

School   Interests 199 

CHAPTER   XII. 

Cass  Township 202 

Birth,  First 205 

Church  Interests 208 

Creation  of  Township 205 

Drainage 208 

Educational  Growth 206 

Election,  Early 207 

Marriage,  First 205 

Pioneer  Life 202 

Post  Office 208 

Preacher,  First 208 

Tax  Payers  of  1851 207 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Round  Grove  Township 209 

Births,  First 212 

Church 212 

Creation  of  Township 210 

Death,  First 212 

Elections,  First 211 

Land  Entries 211 

Marriage,  First 212 

Origin  of  Name 210 

Post  Offices 212 

Schools 212 

Settlement,  First 210 

Then  and  Now 213 


I  BI06RAPHI1-AI.  ^^KETOHKS. 

Big  Creek  Township 374 

I    Cass  Township 423 

I    Honey  Creek  Township 2S1 

I    Jackson  Township 304 

Liberty  Township 397 


Monticello,  City  of.. 
Monon  Township. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

Prairie  Township 260 

Princeton  Township 338 

Round  Grove  Township 426 

Union  Township 250 

West  Point  Township 407 

PORTRABTS. 

Burns,  Jolm  and  wife 63 

French,  Chester  C 267 

High,  Jonathan 384 

Love,  J.  M 329 

McAllister,  .J ; 401 

Price,  Asenath 98 

Price,  Peter : 82 

Spencer,  George  Armstrong 185 

Spencer,  Thomas 257 


PAGE. 

Sfcine,  H.  S 311 

Timmons,  John  G.  and  wife 347 

Turpie,  Mrs.  Emma  J 239 

Turpie,  J.  H 222 

Turpie,  Mrs.  Mary  F 212 

Turpie,  William 294 

Virden,  Samuel 293 

VIEWS. 

Elevator  of  J.  &  W.  W.  Eaub 365 

Farm  Residence  of  J.  P.  Carr 115 

Presbyterian  Church  of  Monticello 45 

Farm  Residence  of  John  F.  Price 419 

Public  School  Building  of  Monticello 27 

Farm  Residence  of  H.  M.  Wheeler 149 

Farm  Residence  of  G.  W.  Wolverton 167 


PART  IL-HISTORY  OF  PULASKI  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Abstract  of  Property  and  Taxes,  1881 468 

Agents,  County » 473^ 

Agricultural  Society 465 

Assessors 473 

Associate  Judges , 474 

Auditors 472 

Board  of  Commissioners 455 

Buildings,  County..... 460 

Circuit  Court 457 

Circuit  Judges 473 

Clerks 472 

Commissioners 472 

Common  Pleas  Judges 474 

Coroners 473 

County  Before  Organization 451 

Creation  of  County 450 

Drainage 447 

Drift,  The 445    1 

Election,  First 452    I 

Election  Tables 475 

Indians,  The 449 

Jail 462 

Land  Offices 462    | 

Library 462    ! 

Medical  Society 464    ; 

Miscellaneous  Items 456    \ 

Old  Settlers'  Association 469 

Orders,  County 459 

Organization  of  County 450    j 

Petroleum  Company 465 

Politics 474    j 

Poor,  County 463 

Probate  Judges 474    [ 

Railroads 465    ! 

Recorders 472    j 

Representatives 473    1 

Roads,  County  and  State 458    j 

School  Examiners 473 

Seminary,  County 462 

.Sheriffs 472    [ 

Soil,  The 446 

Squatters,  The 456 

StateSenators 473 

Statistics 467    I 

Surveyors 473    j 

Tableof  Land  Entries 457 

Three  Per  Cent  Commissioners 473 

Townships 464    ! 

Treasurers 472    ' 

Treasury  Statement 469 

CHAPTER  11.  ( 

An  Incident 497 

Bounty 493 

Calls  for  Troops 497 

Disloyalty 490 

Draft,  The 491-494 

Enlistment,  Continued 493 

Excitement  at  Winamac 485 

Fall  of  Sumter 484 

First  Company 486 


Infantry,  Ninth 498 

Infantry,  Twentieth 498 

Infantry,  Forty-sixth 499 

Infantry,  Eighty-seventh 500 

Mexican  War 482 

Old  Militia  System 481 

Rebellion,  The 484 

Roll  of  Honor 501 

Sketches  of  Regiments 498 

Suppression  of  the  Democrat 492 

Tableof  Regiments 496 

Three  Months'  Men 486 

TOWSrSHIP    HISTORIES. 

CHAPTER  III. 

Monroe  Township 504 

Additions  to  Winamac 521 

Banking 520 

Bridges 519 

Business  Blocks 521 

Business,  Present 516 

Churches 533 

Early  Events 515 

Elections...: 510 

Ferries 519 

Incorporation 522 

Industrial  Growth 514 

Later  Progress 509 

Manufactures 517 

Merchandising 515 


Postmasters 520 

Professions 519 

Schools 5.32 

Secret  Societies 528 

Settler,  First -507 

Settlement 504 

Subsequent  Improvement 508 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Salem  Township 535 

Agricultural  Society 545 

Business,  Present 541 

College,  The 540 

Creamery 545 

Drainage 545 

Elections,  Early 538 

Fatalities 542 

Francesville 541 

Game 547 

Geological  Characteristics 536 

Hay 547 

Land  Entries 538 

Marriage,  First 539 

Militia 545 

Newspapers 542 

Organization 535 

Religion 543 

Schools 539 

Secret  Societies 544 

Settlement 537 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

PAGE. 

Harrison  Township 5-18 

Accidental  Death 555 

Bridge 553 

Church :...  552 

Creation  of  Township 548 

Deceased  Pioneers 550 

Elections,  Early 549 

Incidents 551 

Mooresburg 555 

Mooresburg  Mill 553 

Notes  and  Incidents 555 

Origin  of  Name 548 

Politics 557 

Roads 554 

Saw  Mill 554 

Schools 553 

Settlement,  First 549 

Spring  Election,  1882 556 

Wey'B  Mill 554 

CHAPTFTR  VI. 

Indian  Creek  Township 557 

Birth  and  Death 563 

Bridges 569 

Churches, > 566 

Education 565 

Incidents 559 

Marriage,  First 563 

Mill,  First 562 

Miscellaneous 569 

Mound-Builders 560 

Pearl  Divers 567 

Physical  Features 561 

Pulaski  Grist  Mill 563 

Pulaski  Village 564 

Settlement 559 

Settler,  First 557 

Voters,  Early .557 

CHAPTER  VII. 

White  Post  Township 571 

Affrays 584 

Birth,  First 578 

Churches 582 

Death,  First 578 

Directory  of  MedarysTille 586 

Drainage 579 

Elections,  Early 573 

Incidents 577 

Marriage,  First 578 

Medarysville 581 

Miscellaneous  Notes 586 

Mystery,  A 580 

Newspapers 584 

Origin  of  Name i 571 

Physical  Description 574 

Post  Office 578 

Schools 579 

Settlement 573 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Van  Buben  Township 587 

Churches 596 

Detectives 594 

Election,  First 588 

Elections,  Subsequent 588 

Hardships 591 

Hunters 590 

Land  Entries '. 588 

Rosedale  Village 595 

Schools 595 

Settler,  First 587 

Star  City 592 

Statistical 592 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Tippecanoe  Town.ship S'.tK 

Boundaries,  First ."I'JS 

Bridges i i;u3 

Cholera r.02 

Death,  First 601 

Elections,  Early 6(h» 

Incidents,  Early 602 

Inn,  First 002 

Landholders,  Early 599 

Marriage,   First 001 


Mills 

Miscellaneou") 
Monterey  Village 
Origin  of  N  ame 
Pioneers  Living 


603 
604 
598 


Settlement.  .  59S 

CHAPTER  X. 

Cass  Township 608 

Belfast 613 

Churches 614 

Drainage 612 

Early  Occurrences 611 

Elections 608 

Fatal  Accident 615 

Post  Office 614 

Products 612 

Schools 614 

Settlers,  First 611 

Trustees,  First 614 

Wild  Game 612 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Rich  Grove  Township 016 

Churches 620 

"Cranberry"  Township 621 

Creation  of  Township 610 

Death,  First 621 

Elections,  Early 61G 

Gundrum  Station 621 

Justices'of  the  Peace 620 

Land  Entries 617 

Marriage,   First 621 

Mills,  etc 618 

Origin  of  Name 617 

Property  Protection 621 

Road 620 

Schools 619 

Settlements 618 

Trustees 620 

CHAPTER  XII. 

.Tefferson  Township 622 

Accident,  An 624 

Birth,  First 624 

Churches 625 

Creation  of  Town.ship 622 

Death,  First 624 

Early  Experiences 629 

Land  Entries 626 

Liquor  License 624 

Marriage,  First .• 624 

Mastodon,  Remains  of  a 630 

Mills 626 

Origin  of  Name 622 

Schools 630 

Settlement 623 

Violent  Death 630 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Beaver  Township 631 

Birth,  First 635 

Churches 635 

Death,  First 63.T 

Early  Customs 633 

Early  Events 635 

Elections 631 

Land  Entries 632 

Marriage,  First 635 

Origin  of  Name 631 

Schools 634 

Settlers 632 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Kranklin  Township 636 

Civility 040 

Drainage 640 

Educational  Interests 641 

Elections 638 

Jacobs  House 639 

Land  Entries 630 

Origin  of  Name 630 

Railroad 640 

Settlement 637 

Sunday  School 640 


CONTENTS. 


BIOORAPHICAL,    SKETCBES. 

PAGE. 

Beaver  Township 768 

Cass  Township 764 

Franklin  Township 770 

Harrison  Township 694 

Indian  Creek  Township 702 

Jetferson  Township 767 

Monroe  Township 671 

Rich  Grove  Township 765 

Salem  Township 674 

Tippecanoe  Township 749 

Van  Bureu  Township 733 

White  Post  Township 725 

Winamac,  City  of 643 


PORTRAITS. 

PAGE. 

Barnett,  William  C .  646 

Brown,   Ira .' 454 

Brown,  Mrs.  Sophia 487 

Dilts,  M.  A 609 

Holsinger,  John  5 627 

Huddleston,  W.  S 575 

Thompson,  W.  H 524 

Thompson,  G.  W 525 

John  R.  Conner 542 

JohnShill ; 558 

VIEW. 
Keller,  Bouslog  &  Co.'s  Business  House 505 


PART    I. 


HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    I. 


BY    WESTON   A.    000D8PEBD. 


The  Surface  and  Soil — Drainage — Prehistoric  Inhabitants — 
The  Indians — Cession  Treaties — Public  Land  Sales — Creation 
OF  White  County — Its  Organization — Subsequent  Boundary 
Alterations — The  Early  Courts — Acts  of  the  Commissioners 
— Financial  Management — County  Buildings — Societies  and 
Associations — Industrial  Statistics — List  of  Public  Officers 
— Politics — Miscellaneous  Notes  of  Interest. 

««  We  have  no  title  deeds  to  house  or  lands; 

Owners  and  occupants  of  earlier  dates, 
From  graves  forgotten  stretch  their  dusty  hands, 
And  hold  in  mortmain  still  their  old  estates." 

IF  the  Drift  Deposits  which  cover  all  White  County  to  the  depth  of 
many  feet  were  cut  through,  the  Niagara  limestones  of  the  Upper 
Silurian  Period  would  be  disclosed.  The  time  is  coming  in  the  future 
when  this  vast  storehouse  of  excellent  stone  will  be  quarried  as  coal  is 
now  quarried  in  many  parts  of  the  earth  where  the  surface  is  compara- 
tively level.  After  these  beds  of  stone  had  been  deposited  (so  the  geolog- 
ical story  runs)  there  came  a  time  called  Glacial  when  all  this  latitude, 
and  northward,  was  locked  up  in  vast  mountains  of  ice.  Huge  glaciers 
pushed  their  way  southward  in  obedience  to  controlling  laws,  grinding 
clown  the  elevations  of  earth  and  transporting  the  soil  to  latitudes  far- 
ther south.  After  this  came  icebergs,  the  successors  of  the  glaciers, 
which  continued  the  process  of  conveying  the  soil  southAvard.  All  of 
White  County  is  covered  with  this  foreign  soil,  often  to  several  hundred 
feet  in  depth,  which  has  come  here  from  British  America.  As  it  was 
deposited  here  long  before  any  human  beings  inhabited,  the  earth,  it  may 

(11) 


12  mSTOKY    OF    WHITE   COUNTY. 

be  considered  as  having  merited  the  title  of  "  Old  Settler."  All  are  fa- 
miliar with  the  characteristics  of  these  deposits,  usually  called  "The 
Drift."  They  vary  all  the  way  from  alluvium  (fine  inorganic  material 
and  vegetable  mold  mingled)  to  huge  bowlders,  which  may  be  seen  scat- 
tered all  over  the  surface  of  the  county,  and  found  as  far  down  as  the 
Drift  extends. 

The  Soil. — The  soil  of  the  county  gives  rich  promises  of  great  future 
wealth.  There  is  a  large  percentage  of  low  or  level  land,  much  of  which 
is  yet  too  wet  for  cultivation,  but  which,  some  day,  when  suitable  drain- 
age is  furnished,  will  be  like  a  garden.  Many  of  these  tracts  of  land  are 
underlaid  with  extensive  beds  of  bog  iron  ore,  occasionally  in  such  abun- 
dance as  to  give  promise  of  future  utility  when  profitable  means  of  work- 
ing them  are  devised.  Some  portions  of  the  soil  are  quite  sterile,  owing^ 
to  a  superabundance  of  sand  or  clay.  Tracts  of  rich  and  beautiful  prai- 
rie land  are  found  in  various  portions.  Clusters  of  low  oaks  occur  on  the 
sandier  tracts,  far  out  from  the  larger  water-courses.  Heavy  timber  is 
found  on  Tippecanoe  River  and  at  other  places.  High  bluifs  along  the 
river  afford  fine  views  of  extensive  and  beautiful  tracts  of  country. 

Drainage. — Within  the  past  fifteen  years  not  less  than  $200,000  has 
been  expended  in  constructing  open  ditches.  Many  miles  of  tiling  have 
been  laid  during  the  same  period.  Perhaps  over  |100,000  has  been  ex- 
pended in  drainage  during  this  period.  Comparatively  little  was  done  in 
this  direction  until  fifteen  years  ago,  and  the  greater  portion  of  what  has 
been  accomplished  has  been  done  within  the  last  six  years.  Twenty  years 
hence  the  surface  will  be  well  drained,  and  splendid  crops  will  be  raised 
where  now  the  song  of  the  batrachian  resounds.  This  work  must  neces- 
sarily go  on  comparatively  slow,  as  the  public  funds  will  admit. 

The  Mound  Builders. — Prior  to  the  period  from  1838  to  1842  the 
territory  now  comprising  the  county  of  White  with  all  the  adjacent  lands 
was  the  home  of  the  Indian  tribes.  Here  they  had  lived  back  as  far  as 
the  knowledge  of  the  Caucasian  race  extends,  and  much  farther  back  as 
is  proved  by  Indian  tradition.  If  they  were  the  descendants  of  that  ex- 
tinct race  of  people  called  "  Mound  Builders,"  who  inhabited  all  this  sec- 
tion of  country  at  an  earlier  date,  it  may  be  stated  on  the  best  of  au- 
thority that  the  Indians  had  occupied  this  land  long  before  the  Christian 
era.  Perhaps  a  majority  of  authorities  on  the  subject  deny  the  kinship 
of  the  Indians  and  the  Mound  Builders,  and  allege  that  the  latter  were 
a  distinct  race  of  human  beings  of  whom  the  former  knew  nothing  save 
what  was  derived  from  their  crumbling  bones  and  habitations.  All  agree, 
however,  as  to  the  antiquity  of  the  earlier  race.  Some  writers  place 
them  back  as  co-existent  with  the  old  Babylonian  and  Assyrian  nations. 
Others  still  make  them  relatives  of  the  Aztecs  or  Peruvians  who  occupied 


HISTORY    OP    WHITE   COUNTY.  13 

the  torrid  region  of  the  Western  Continent  when  Columbus  resolutely  di- 
rected the  prow  of  his  little  vessel  westward  across  the  Atlantic.  The 
truth  can  never  be  known.  They  had  no  historians  ;  they  were  bar- 
barians. They  had  never  experienced  the  pleasure  of  being  "  written 
up,"  and  had  never  been  asked  to  put  their  names  down  for  a  copy  of  the 
county  history.  Consequently  their  history  remains  a  mystery  more  pro- 
found than  that  of  Eleusis.  It  remains  for  the  civilized  to  appreciate  the 
value  which  history  aifords  to  the  human  race. 

There  have  been  discovered  within  the  limits  of  White  County,  usually 
on  high  lands  contiguous  to  some  stream,  about  fifteen  mounds,  con- 
structed in  all  probability  by  the  Mound  Builders,  thousands  of  years 
ago.  As  these  are  described  in  township  chapters,  nothing  further  will  be 
added  here,  except  a  few  general  statements.  The  mounds  found  in  this 
section  of  the  State  are  usually  sepulchral,  sacrificial  or  memorial.  The 
first  contain  the  decaying  bones  of  the  dead  ;  the  second  contain  ashes, 
charcoal  and  the  charred  bones  of  animals  and  even  human  beings  who 
were  immolated  to  secure  the  favor  of  the  Being  worshipped  ;  the  third 
were  erected  to  commemorate  some  great  national  event.  All  three  kinds 
are  found  in  the  county,  the  first  mentioned  being  most  numerous. 

Indian  Cession  Treaties. — How  the  Indians  came  here,  succeeding 
as  they  did  the  earlier  race,  is  not  known,  and  probably  never  will  be. 
They  were  here  when  the  whites  first  came.  The  Pottawatomies  were 
found  in  possession  of  the  soil,  though  the  Miamis  claimed  some  rights  of 
occupancy.  On  the  2d  of  October,  1818,  at  a  treaty  concluded  at  St, 
Mary's  with  the  Pottawatomies,  the  following  tract  of  country  was  ceded 
to  the  Government : 

Beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tippecanoe  River  and  running  up  the  same  to  a  point 
twenty-five  miles  in  a  direct  line  from  the  Wabash  River,  thence  on  a  line  as  nearly  par- 
allel to  the  general  course  of  the  Wabash  River  as  practicable  to  a  point  on  the  Vermil- 
lion River  twenty-five  miles  from  the  Wabash  River,  thence  down  the  Vermillion  River 
to  its  mouth,  and  thence  up  the  Wabash  River  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

On  the  16th  of  October,  1826,  they  also  ceded  the  following  tract  of 
land. 

Beginning  on  the  Tippecanoe  River  where  the  northern  boundary  of  the  tract  ceded  by 
the  Pottawatomies  to  the  United  States  at  the  treaty  of  St.  Mary's  in  the  year  1818  in- 
tersects the  same,  thence  in  a  direct  line  to  a  point  on  Eel  River,  half  way  between  the 
mouth  of  said  river  and  Parrish's  Village,  thence  up  Eel  River  to  Seek's  Village  (now  in 
Whitley  ("ounty )  near  the  head  thereof,  thence  in  a  direct  line  to  the  mouth  of  a  creek  emp- 
tying into  the  St.  Joseph's  of  the  Miami  (Maumee)  near  Metea's  Village,  thence  up  the 
St.  Joseph's  to  the  boundary  line  between  the  Ohio  and  Indiana,  thence  south  to  the 
Miami  (Maumee),  thence  up  the  same  to  the  reservation  at  Ft.  Wayne,  thence  with  the 
lines  of  the  said  reservation  to  the  boundary  established  by  the  treaty  with  the  Miamis 
in  1818,  thence  with  the  said  line  to  the  Wabash  River,  thence  with  the  same  river  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Tippecanoe  River,  and  thence  with  the  Tippecanoe  River  to  the  place  of 
beginning. 


14  HISTORY   OF   WHITE   COUNTY. 

The  following  letter  explains  itself: 

Department  of  the  Interior,  "| 

General  Land  Office,  j- 

Washington,  D.  C,  December  9, 1882.      j 
W.  A.  GooDSPEED,  Esq.,  Winamac,  Indinna. 

Sir: — Iq  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  27th  of  October  last,  setting  forth  that  you  want  the 
following  information  for  historical  purposes,  to  wit :  "  When  and  where  were  the  gov- 
ernment sales  of  land  in  White  and  Pulaski  Counties,  Indiana  V  I  have  to  state  that 
Townships  25  and  26  north.  Ranges  3,  4,  5  and  6  west  (White  County)  were  offered  at 
Crawfordsville,  Indiana,  November,  1829,  June,  1830,  and  October,  1832.  Townships 
27  and  :^8  north,  Eanges  2,  3,  4,  5  and  6  west,  in  White  County,  were  offered  at  Winamac,* 
Indiana.  November,  1830,  March,  1832,  and  March,  1839.  The  land  in  Pulaski  County 
wasofl'ered  at  Winamac,  Indiana,  in  September,  1838,  March,  1839,  and  March,  1841. 

Very  respectfully, 

M.  McFarland,  Commissioner. 

Indian  Alarms. — Immediately  after  the  first  sale  of  the  lands  of  what 
afterward  became  White  County,  and  even  before,  the  settlers  began  to 
flock  in  and  select  new  homes.  In  1832,  the  year  of  the  Black  Hawk 
war,  probably  twenty  families  were  living  in  the  county.  From  time  to 
time  reports  came  in  from  the  west  of  the  Indian  massacres  but  a  com- 
paratively short  distance  away,  and  a  general  feeling  of  alarm  settled  down 
upon  the  pioneers  on  the  outskirts  of  the  thickly  settled  sections.  The 
savages  might  at  any  moment  penetrate  a  little  farther  east  and  fall  upon 
the  settlers  with  fire,  and  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife.  About  the  1st 
of  June  the  alarm  became  so  intense  and  universal  that  many  of  the  fam- 
ilies living  in  White  County  packed  their  household  goods  in  wagons  and 
fled  to  the  older  settlements  on  the  south  side  of  the  Wabash,  driving 
their  live  stock  with  them.  Some  persons  set  fire  to  the  grass  on  the 
Grand  Prairie,  and  the  lurid  glare  of  the  flames  reflected  on  the  sky  filled 
the  breasts  of  the  settlers  for  many  miles  around  with  fearful  forebodings. 
Many  thought  the  savages  had  come.  Companies  of  militia  were  formed 
in  the  older  localities  to  protect  the  families  that  assembled.  Notwith- 
standing the  reports  there  were  a  number  of  families  in  White  County 
which  had  the  hardihood  to  remain  on  their  farms,  though  in  most  cases 
care  was  taken  to  prevent  being  surprised  by  savages  on  the  war  path. 
They  were  aware  that  but  little  danger  was  to  be  apprehended,  as  the 
scene  of  the  Indian  outbreak  was  too  far  away  to  affect  the  inhabitants  of 
White  County.  The  majority,  however,  were  greatly  scared,  and  fled  as 
stated.  A  small  company  of  about  twenty  men  was  formed  at  Delphi 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Andrew  Wood.  The  men,  well  armed  and 
provisioned,  passed  out  on  the  Grand  Prairie  and  then  up  the  Tippecanoe 
River  through  White  County  going  as  far  up  as  the  house  of  Melchi  Gray 

*As  there  was  no  such  place  as  Winamac  until  1838,  and  as  the  Land  Office  was  not  located  there 
until  1 839  the  Commissioner  is  doubtless  mistaken  as  to  the  place  where  the  land  was  offered.  The 
jales  took  place  at  LaPorte  until  the  office  was  established  at  Winamac. 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  15 

near  the  mouth  of  the  Monon,  keeping  a  careful  lookout  for  signs  of 
Indians.  Many  houses  were  found  deserted,  everything  indicating  a  hur- 
ried departure  of  the  owners.  Others  were  strongly  barricaded,  while  the 
occupants  within  were  prepared  to  repel  assaults  from  a  savage  foe.  A 
few  families  went  about  their  daily  tasks  as  usual.  The  company  saw 
nothing  whatever  of  hostile  Indians,  and  soon  returned  to  Delphi.  In  a 
little  while  the  feeling  of  alarm  disappeared  and  the  families  returned  to 
their  houses. 

Mrs.  Peter  Price,  then  living  on  the  old  homestead  a  short  distance 
west  of  what  afterward  became  Monticello,  relates  that  her  family  were 
unconscious  of  any  circulating  reports  of  danger  from  the  Indians  until 
early  one  morning  in  June,  1832,  before  the  members  of  the  family  had 
arisen,  when  they  were  aroused  from  their  slumbers  by  a  loud  shout  from 
George  A.  Spencer  who  had  ridden  rapidly  up  on  a  horse  and  had 
stopped  before  the  door  of  their  log  cabin.  The  first  intelligible  words 
that  fell  upon  the  ears  of  the  startled  family  were  "  Halloo,  Peter,  get  up  ! 

the  d d  Injins  are  coming,  and  are  killing  everybody  !"     It  took  that 

family  about  one  minute  to  get  into  their  clothes,  and  surround  the  mes- 
senger with  anxious  questions.  It  was  decided  to  leave  immediately, 
and  hurried  preparations  were  made  to  take  the  most  valuable  ar- 
ticles, and  leave  the  remainder,  as  it  was  thought,  to  the  torch  of 
the  savages.  Mrs.  Price  and  her  children  were  taken  to  the  house 
of  some  friend  below  Delphi,  while  Mr.  Price  returned  to  near  the 
mouth  of  Spring  Creek,  Prairie  Township,  where  some  twelve  or  fifteen 
families  had  collected  and  had  made  rather  formidable  preparations  to  re- 
ceive the  enemy.  It  is  stated  that  a  watch  was  kept,  and  every  gun  was 
loaded  and  in  its  place.  It  is  also  stated  that  a  sort  of  block-house  was 
erected,  but  this  is  probably  a  mistake.  A  few  days  dispelled  the  illu- 
sion, and  the  families  returned  to  their  homes.  Some  thought  the  dan- 
ger was  to  come  from  the  Pottawatomies,  while  others  better  informed 
feared  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  from  the  Mississippi  River.  As  a  matter  of 
fact  the  Pottawatomies  were  about  as  much  frightened  as  the  whites,  and 
all  went  to  the  Indian  agent  for  advice  and  protection.  They  thought 
the  whites  were  going  to  attack  them  for  some  reason  they  could  not 
fully  surmise.  They  and  the  whites  had  a  good  laugh  together  afterward 
over  the  "heap  big  scare." 

In  1833  many  settlers  located  in  the  county — so  many,  in  fact,  that  the 
representatives  in  the  Legislature  were  asked  to  have  a  new  county  cre- 
ated and  organized.  Accordingly,  during  the  session  of  1833-4,  the  fol- 
lowing enactment  was  passed  and  approved  : 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  that  from   and    after  the 
first  day  of  April  next,  all  that  tract  of  country  included  in  the  following  boundary  lines 


16  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUJSTTY. 

shall  form  and  constitute  a  new  county  to  be  known  and  designated  by  the  name  of  the 
county  of  White  (in  honor  of  Major  Isaac  White,  who  fell  at  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe)  to 
wit,  beginning  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Tippecanoe  County,  thence  running  east  with 
the  north  line  of  Tippecanoe  County  to  the  southwest  corner  of  Carroll  County,  thence 
north  with  the  west  line  of  Carroll  County  to  the  northwest  corner  of  the  same,  thence 
east  with  the  north  line  of  Carroll  County  to  the  west  line  of  Cass  County,  thence  north 
with  the  west  line  of  Cass  County  to  the  northwest  corner  of  the  same,  thence  west  to  the 
center  section  line  of  range  six  west,  thence  south  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Tippecanoe 
County  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

Sec.  2.  That  the  new  county  of  White  shall,  from  and  after  the  first  day  of  April  next, 
enjoy  and  possess  all  the  rights,  privileges,  benefits  and  jurisdictions  which  to  separate 
and  independent  counties  do  or  may  properly  belong  or  appertain. 

Sec.  3.  That  James  H.  Stewart,  of  Carroll  County,  John  Killgore,  of  Tippecanoe 
County,  Fnos  Lowe,  of  Parke  County,  and  John  B.  King,  be,  and  they  are  hereby  ap- 
pointed Commissioners,  agreeable  to  an  act  entitled  "  An  act  fixing  the  seats  of  justice 
in  all  new  counties  hereafter  to  be  laid  olf."  The  Commissioners  aforesaid  shall  meet 
on  the  first  Monday  in  September  next  at  the  house  of  George  A.  Spencer,  in  the 
said  county  o.  White,  and  shall  proceed  immediately  to  perform  the  duties  required  of 
them  by  law;  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Sheriff  of  Tippecanoe  County  to  notify 
said  Commissioners,  either  in  person  or  by  writing,  of  their  appointment,  on  or  before 
the  first  day  of  August  next,  and  for  such  service  he  shall  receive  such  compensation  as 
the  Board  doing  county  business  in  said  county  of  White  may,  when  organized,  deem 
just  and  reasonable,  to  be  allowed  and  paid  as  other  county  claims. 

Sei'.  4.  The  Circuit  Court  and  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners,  when  elected  under 
the  writ  of  election  from  the  executive  department,  shall  hold  their  sessions  as  near  the 
center  of  the  county  as  a  convenient  place  can  be  had,  until  the  public  buildings  shall  be 
erected. 

Sec.  5.  The  agent  who  shall  be  appointed  to  superintend  the  sale  of  lots  of  the 
county  seat  of  said  county  of  White  shall  reserve  ten  per  cent,  out  of  the  proceeds 
thereof,  and  pay  the  same  over  to  such  person  or  persons  as  may  be  appointed  by 
law  to  receive  the  same  for  the  use  of  a  county  library. 

Sec.  6.  The  county  of  White  shall  be  attached  to  the  first  judicial  circuit  of  this 
State  for  judicial,  and  to  the  county  of  Carroll  for  representative,  purposes. 

Sec.  7.  That  all  the  territory  lying  west  of  the  county  of  White  to  the  State  line,  be, 
and  the  same  is,  hereby  attached  to  the  county  of  White  for  civil  and  judicial  purposes. 

Sec.  8.  That  the  Circuit  Courts  shall  be  held  in  the  county  of  White  on  the  Tuesdays 
succeeding  the  week  of  the  Tippecanoe  Circuit  Court,  and  sit  three  days  each  term, 
should  the  business  require  it. 

Sec.  9.  The  Board  doing  county  business  may,  as  soon  as  elected  and  qualified,  hold 
special  sessions  not  exceeding  three,  during  the  first  year  after  the  organization  of  said 
county,  and  shall  make  all  necessary  appointments,  and  do  or  perform  all  other  busi- 
ness which  may  or  might  have  been  necessary  to  be  iierformed  at  any  other  regular 
session,  and  take  all  necessary  steps  to  collect  the  Slate  and  county  revenue,  any  law  or 
to   the  contrary  notwithstanding.     This    act  to    be    in  force   from  and  after  its 


Approved  February   1,   1834. 

A  little  later  the  following  was  enacted  : 

That  all  the  territory  lying  north  of  the  county  of  Cass  to  the  line  dividing  Town- 
ships 32  and  33  north,  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby,  attached  to  said  county  for  judicial 
and  representative  purposes,  and    that  all  the    territory  lying  north   of   the  county  of 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  17 

White  and  of  the  territory  attached  thereto  to  the  aforesaid  line  be,  and  the  same  is 
hereby,  attached  to  the  county  of  White  for  the  same  purpose.  This  act  to  be  in  force 
from  and  afterits  publication  in  the  Indiansi  Journal,  printed  at  Indianapolis. 

Approved  December  24,  1834. 

So  far  as  can  be  learned  no  changes  were  made  in  the  boundaries  of 
White  County  until  the  following  law  was  passed : 

That  the  following  described  territory  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby,  taken  from  the 
county  of  Carroll  and  incorporated  and  made  a  part  of  White  :  all  north  of  Section  33 
and  west  of  the  Tippecanoe  River  in  Township  26  north,  Range  3  west.  This  act  to  take 
efl'ect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  its  passage. 

Approved  February  4,   1837. 

Again  a  little  later  the  following  became  law : 

That  hereafter  the  Tippecanoe  River  shall  be  the  western  boundary  of  Carroll  County, 
from  where  the  north  line  of  said  county  strikes  the  river,  until  said  river  strikes  the 
section  line  dividing  thirty-three  and  twenty-eight,  in  Township  twenty-six,  and  all  the 
territory  west  of  said  river  and  north  of  said  line  in  Township  twenty-six,  and  Range 
three  west,  is  hereby  attached  to  the  county  of  White,  as  intended  by  the  act,  entitled 
"An  act  to  alter  the  boundary  line  between  Carroll  and  White,"  approved  February  4, 
lt<37.     This  act  to  be  in  force  from  and  after  its  passage. 

Approved  February  14,   1839. 

The  large  section  of  country  north  and  west  now  constituting  the 
counties  of  Jasper,  Newton  and  portions  of  Benton  and  Pulaski,  which 
was  attached  to  White  County  by  legislative  enactment,  remained  so 
until  it  was  organized  into  separate  counties — Pulaski  in  1839,  Jasper 
in  1837,  Newton  in  1839  and  Benton  in  1840. 

Some  time  during  the  summer  of  1884  an  election  of  two  x^ssociate 
Judges,  three  County  Commissioners,  one  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  and 
perhaps  other  county  officers,  was  held  in  White  County  with  the  follow- 
ing result :  Associate  Judges  —  James  Barnes  and  Thomas  Wilson. 
Commissioners  —  David  McCombs,  Ira  Bacon  and  Robert  Newell. 
Clerk  —  William  Sill.  The  returns  of  this  election  are  probably 
in  the  vault  of  the  clerk's  office  at  Monticello,  but  as  no  due  effort  was 
made  by  the  proper  officers  to  search  for  such  papers,  although  requested 
so  to  do,  and  as  the  historian  was  not  permitted  to  make  such  search,  the 
records  remain,  very  probably,  in  a  corner  covered  with  dust  and  rub- 
bish.    No  apology  is  necessary  under  the  circumstances. 

White  County  had  a  political  existence  before  its  organization,  of  which 
nothing  is  knoAvn  to  the  citizens.  All  the  territory  now  comprising  the 
county,  besides  much  more  north  and  west,  was  attached  to  the  county 
of  Carroll  by  legislative  enactment,  at  the  time  the  latter  was  created. 
On  the  11th  of  May,  1831,  the  Commissioners  of  Carroll  County  ordered 
that  all  the  territory  attached  to  the   county,  or  a  part  of  the  county, 


18  HISTOEY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

west  of  the  Tippecanoe  River  should  thereafter  be  Prairie  Township ; 
and  an  election  was  ordered  held  on  the  first  Monday  of  the  following 
August  for  the  election  of  one  Justice  of  the  Peace,  the  vote  to  be  polled 
at  the  house  of  Jesse  Watson,  who  was  appointed  Inspector.  At  this 
election  the  following  men  voted :  J.  L.  Watson,  Jesse  Johnson,  Samuel 
Smelcer,  Michael  Ault,  Jeremiah  Bisher,  W.  H.  McCuUoch,  Aaron  Cox, 
Royal  Hazleton,  Ed.  McCarty,  Charles  Wright,  William  Phillips,  R. 
Harrison,  Robert  A.  Barr,  William  Woods,  Ashford  Parker — total,  15. 
The  entire  vote  was  cast  for  Noah  Noble  for  Governor.  For  Justice  of 
the  Peace  Royal  Hazleton  received  9  votes,  and  Jesse  Johnson  4.  In 
May,  1832,  the  elections  were  changed  to  the  house  of  Samuel  Alkire 
and  Jesse  L.  Watson  continued  Inspector.  At  the  April  election  in 
1832,  only  six  votes  were  polled,  as  follows  :  J.  L.  Watson,  Jesse  John- 
son, William  Phillips,  Charles  Wright,  Edney  Wright,  J.  G.  Alkire. 
Charles  Wright  was  elected  Constable  ;  Jesse  Johnson  and  Robert  Newell, 
Road  Supervisors  ;  William  Phillips  and  William  Woods,  Overseers  of 
the  Poor ;  Samuel  Smelcer  and  Samuel  Alkire,  Fence  Viewers.  These 
were  undoubtedly  the  first  ofiicers  of  the  kind  elected  in  White  County. 
In  September,  1832,  all  of  White  County  east  of  the  Tippecanoe  River 
was  formally  attached  to  Adams  Township,  Carroll  County. 

At  the  August  election  in  Prairie  Township  in  1832,  twenty  votes 
were  polled,  and  in  November,  at  the  presidential  election  the  following 
men  voted :  J.  L.  Watson,  Benjamin  Reynolds,  George  McCulloch, 
Joseph  A.  Thompson,  John  Barr,  John  Roberts,  John  Reese,  Royal 
Hazleton,  Robert  Barr,  George  Bartley,  William  Phillips,  John  Roth- 
rock,  L.  Willis,  Robert  Newell,  John  Hornbeck,  William  Woods,  Samuel 
Alkire,  Melchi  Gray,  eTacob  Young,  Christian  Shuck,  Jeremiah  Bisher, 
Jesse  Johnson  and  Edney  Wright — total,  23.  Eighteen  votes  were  cast 
for  the  Whig  electors  and  five  for  the  Democratic. 

At  the  March  session  of  the  Court  of  Commissioners  of  Carroll  County, 
all  of  Prairie  Township  (which  then  included  all  of  the  present  White 
County  west  of  the  Tippecanoe  River)  north  of  the  line  dividing  Town- 
ships 25  and  26  north  was  constituted  Norway  Township,  and  the  elec- 
tions were  ordered  held  at  the  Norway  mill.  A  Justice  of  the  Peace  was 
ordered  elected  the  first  Monday  in  March,  1833,  Henry  Baum,  In- 
spector. This  election  was  not  held  until  April,  1833.  The  voters 
were  John  Rothrock,  Benj.  Reynolds,  Joseph  Lewis,  Jesse  Johnson, 
Sibley  Hudson,  John  Burns,  Henry  Baum,  Daniel  Wolf,  Jeremiah  Bish- 
er, James  Barnes,  George  Bartley,  Robert  Rothrock,  George  Kemp, 
Ashford  Parker,  Ira  Bacon,  George  A.  Spencer  and  Thomas  Emerson. 
The  vote  was — for  Justice  of  the  Peace  :  G.  A.  Spencer,  11,  Robert  New- 
ell, 3,  Melchi  Gray,  1;  Constable — James  Barnes,  12,  Benj.  Reynolds,  5 ; 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  19 

Overseers  of  the  Poor — Armstrong  Buchanan,  14,  John  Reese,  9;  Fence 
Viewers — B.  N.  Spencer,  11,  Jeremiah  Bisher,  5,  Andrew  Ferguson,  9, 
John  Burns,  3  ;  Road  Supervisor — John  Roberts,  14. 

In  May  the  name  Norway  was  discarded  and  Big  Creek  was  adopted, 
and  the  August  election  was  ordered  held  at  the  house  of  Benj.  N^ 
Spencer.  On  this  occasion  26  votes  were  polled  as  follows  :  Peter 
Price,  James  Signers,  Samuel  Gray,  George  Bartley,  Cornelius  Clark, 
George  Gates,  John  Roberts,  Phillip  Davis,  Elias  Louther,  B.  N. 
Spencer,  Benj.  Reynolds,  John  Rothrock,  Melchi  Gray,  Joseph  Roth- 
rock,  G.  A.  Spencer,  James  Johnson,  Robert  Newell,  Henry  Baum, 
Royal  Hazleton,  Jeremiah  Bisher,  James  Barnes,  Ira  Bacon,  James 
Clark,  John  Reese,  George  Kemp  and  Andrew  Ferguson. 

In  September,  1S33,  Big  Creek  was  divided  as  follows  :  All  of 
White  County  west  of  Tippecanoe  River  and  north  of  the  line  dividing 
Townships  26  and  27  north  was  constituted  Union  Township,  and 
elections  were  ordered  held  at  the  house  of  Melchi  Gray.  About 
this  time  John  Barr  was  made  agent  to  expend  the  three  per  cent, 
fund  belonging  to  White  County.  No  other  changes  were  made  in  the 
county  until  the  organization  in  1834. 

The  Circuit  Court. — The  first  session  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  White 
County  was  held  at  the  house  of  George  A.  Spencer  on  the  17th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1834.  The  President  Judge,  John  R.  Porter,  not  being  present,  the 
court  was  conducted  by  James  Barnes  and  Thomas  Wilson,  Associate 
Judges.  William  Sill,  father  of  Milton  M.  Sill,  of  Monticello,  was  pres- 
ent, serving  as  Clerk,  and  John  Wilson,  as  Sheriff".  The  Grand  Jury 
were  Royal  Hazleton  (Foreman),  William  Woods,  James  Johnson, 
Samuel  Gray,  Robert  Barr,  Aaron  Hicks,  Daniel  Dale,  Robert  Hanners, 
John  Roberts,  John  Ferguson,  James  Parker,  Joseph  James,  Sr.,  Corne- 
lius Sutton,  William  Kerr  and  Joseph  Thompson.  An  indictment  was 
returned  against  Jeremiah  Bisher  for  malicious  mischief,  and  the  court 
ordered  the  defendant  to  enter  his  recognizance  for  the  next  term  of 
court,  with  security  at  $50.  As  the  story  goes,  Mr.  Bisher  had  tied 
some  object  to  the  tail  of  one  of  his  neighbor's  troublesome  horses,  and 
the  animal  in  its  fright  had  injured  itself.  This  was  the  only  indict- 
ment returned.  The  attorneys  "sworn  in"  at  this  session  of  the  court 
were  William  P.  Bryant,  Andrew  Ingraham,  Aaron  Finch  and  William 
M.  Jenners.     The  court  then  adjourned. 

The  second  session  was  held  in  the  same  house,  beginning  April  17, 
1835,  with  the  President  Judge,  and  both  Associate  Judges  present.  The 
Grand  Jury  were  Benjamin  Reynolds  (Foreman),  Ashford  Parker,  David 
Burkies,  Elias  Louther,  Jonathan  Harbolt,  William  Walters,  Rowland 
Harris,  William  Phillips,  Mathew  Terwillager,  James  Kent,  Phillip  Da- 


20      -  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

vis,  Armstrong  Buchanan  and  Robert  Newell.  William  Sill,  Clerk, 
John  Wilson,  Sheriff,  and  George  A.  Spencer,  Bailiff.  Bisher's  case 
came  up,  whereupon  he  pleaded  guilty,  and  was  fined  five  dollars,  and  sen- 
tenced to  commitment  in  the  custody  of  the  Sheriff  for  space  of  one  minute, 
the  fine  to  go  to  the  funds  of  the  county  Seminary,  The  Grand  Jury  re- 
turned the  following  indictments  :  Against  Jacob  Gates  for  retailing  liquor 
without  a  license  ;  against  Joseph  Gates  for  firing  prairie ;  against  Royal 
Hazleton  for  marking  hogs  ;  against  Jeremiah  Bisher  for  trespass  to  land  ; 
against  William  Keen  for  selling  liquor  to  Indians  ;  against  John  Beaver 
and  Luke  Beaver  for  an  affray  ;  against  William  Farmer  for  selling  clocks 
without  a  license,  and  against  D.  Runion  and  S.  Pharris,  same  as  last. 
In  the  case  of  Joseph  Gates  the  indictment  was  quashed.  Royal  Hazle- 
ton was  found  "  not  guilty  "  by  the  following  jury  :  Joseph  Sayre,  Jacob 
Crooks,  John  Price,  Henry  Smelcer,  Oliver  Hammond,  Jacob  Keplinger, 
Thomas  Kelley,  Henry  Baum,  Robert  A.  Spencer,  Joseph  James,  Joseph 
Dale  and  Elisha  Bowls.  Mr.  Bisher  was  fined  $1.12J;  Mr.  Keen  plead- 
ed guilty  and  was  fined  five  dollars  and  costs  ;  the  Beavers  were  found 
"  not  guilty  "  by  a  jury,  and  William  Farmer  pleaded  guilty  and  was  fined 
two  dollars  and  costs. 

The  early  law  practitioners  atMonticello  were  Wm.  M.  Jenners,  Wm.  P. 
Bryant,  Andrew  Ingraham,  Aaron  Finch,  Rufus  A.  Lockwood  and  John 
Pettit,  in  1834 ;  John  W.  Wright,  1835  ;  Zebulon  Baird,  1836  ;  William 
Wright,  1837  ;  T.  M.  Thompson,  1838  ;  Hiram  Allen,  1838  ;  Daniel  D. 
Pratt,  1839;  D.  Mace,  1840  ;  W.  Z.  Stewart,  1840  ;  L.  S.  Dale,  1841 ; 
G.  S.  Orth,  1842  ;  Robert  Jones,  Jr.,  1843 ;  Samuel  A.  Half,  1843 ; 
David  M.  Dunn,  1843  ;  J.  F.  Dodds,  1843 ;  William  Potter,  1847  ;  A. 
M.  Crane,  1847  ;  J.  C.  Applegate,  1848 ;  Elijah  Odell,  1848  ;  A.  L. 
Pierce,  1848  ;  David  Turpie,  1849 ;  Robert  H.  Milroy,  1849  ;  T.  0.  Rey- 
burn,  1849  ;  Hiram  W.  Chase,  1850  ;  Abraham  Timmons,  1851. 

In  September,  1834,  the  Commissioners  appointed  by  the  Legislature  to 
locate  the  county  seat  made  the  following  report : 

To  THE  Honorable  the  Cojoiissioners  of  the  Cointy  of  White  : 

The  uudersigned,  Commissioners  appointed  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  Indiana 
to  locate  the  county  seat  of  said  county,  beg  leave  to  report  that  they,  agreeable  to  the 
provisions  of  the  act  for  the  formation  of  said  county,  met  on  the  tirst  Monday  of  Sep- 
tember, 1834,  and  after  being  qualified  according  to  law,  they  proceeded  immediately  to 
the  performance  of  the  duties  assigned  them.  They  took  considerable  pains  to  become 
acquainted  vi^ith  the  situation  of  your  county,  and  with  that  view  made  a  personal  exam- 
ination of  the  greater  portion  of  said  county.  The  Commissioners  have  had  considerable 
difficulty  in  making  up  their  minds  as  to  the  best  location  to  fix  the  seat  of  justice,  and 
at  last  came  to  the  conclusion  to  locate  the  seat  of  justice  on  the  center  line  dividing  the 
foUovi^ing  described  fractions,  viz.:  The  southwest  fraction  of  the  northwest  quarter  and 
the  northwest  fraction  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  Section  33,  Township  27  north,  Range 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  21 

3  west,  on  a  bluff  of  Tippecanoe  River.  Eighty  acres  of  the  above  described  fractions 
have  been  donated  for  the  use  of  the  county  of  White  by  Messrs.  John  Bai  r,  Sr.,  H.  E. 
Hiorth  and  John  Rothrock,  to  be  taken  off  the  east  side  of  said  fraction  by  north  and 
south  line.  A  bond  for  the  conveyance  of  the  same  is  herewith  submitted.  Also  11 10 
was  donated  to  the  county  of  White  by  different  individuals  whose  notes  for  the  same, 
payable  to  the  County  Commissioners,  are  also  herewith  submitted.  The  name  we  have 
selected  for  the  said  county  seat  is  MONTICELLO,  after  the  home  of  the  great  disciple 
of  human  liberty,  Thomas  -Jefferson. 

In  conclusion,  gentlemen,  permit  us  to  indulge  the  hope  that  all  local  dissensions  will 
vanish  amongst  you,  and  that  the  citizens  of  White  will  go  together  as  one  man  for  the 
improvement  of  your  county  and  county  seat.  We  are,  gentlemen,  very  respect. ully, 
your  obedient  servants, 

John  Kilgorb,         ") 

September  5,  1834.  John  B.  King,  j-      Lociimrj  Cnmmismovprx* 

J.4MER  H.  Stewart,  J 

Proceedings  of  the  Commissioners. — The  first  Board  of  Commission- 
ers, consisting  of  David  McCombs,  Ira  Bacon  and  Robert  Newell,  met  at 
the  house  of  George  A.  Spencer  on  the  19th  of  July,  1884,  and  proceeded 
first  to  lay  off  the  county  into  Commissioners'  districts  as  follows  :  District 
No.  1. — All  county  territory  south  of  the  line  passing  east  and  west  be- 
tween Sections  16  and  21,  Township  26  north,  Range  3  west.  District 
No.  2. — All  county  territory  north  of  such  line  and  west  of  Tippecanoe 
River.  District  No.  3. — All  county  territory  east  of  Tippecanoe  River, 
At  the  same  time  the  county  and  all  territory  attached  thereto  were 
divided  into  the  following  townships :  Township  25  north,  in  White 
County,  and  all  the  territory  attached  thereto  to  be  Prairie  Townshij). 
Township  26  north,  in  White  County,  and  all  the  territory  attached  thereto 
to  be  Big  Creek  Township.  Township  27  north,  and  all  of  township  28  west 
of  Tippecanoe  River,  the  same  being  in  White  County,  and  all  the  territory 
attached  thereto,  to  be  Union  Township.  All  of  White  County  east  of 
Tippecanoe  River  to  be  Jaekso7i  Township.  Elections  for  Prairie  Town- 
ship ordered  held  at  the  house  of  William  Wood,  with  Solomon  Mc- 
CuUoch,  Inspector.  Those  of  Big  Creek  at  the  house  of  George  A. 
Spencer,  with  James  Kerr,  Inspector.  Those  of  Union  Township  at  the 
house  of  Melchi  Gray,  Avith  James  Spencer,  Inspector.  Those  of  Jack- 
son Township  at  the  house  of  Daniel  Dale,  with  John  Scott,  Inspector. 
Cornelius  Clark  was  appointed  County  Assessor,  and  George  A.  Spencer 
County  Treasurer.  Clark  was  also  appointed  Collector  of  State  ami 
County  Revenue.  At  this  time  William  Sill  served  as  County  Clerk  and 
John  Wilson,  as  Sheriff. 

At  the  September  term,  1834,  the  report  of  the  Commissioners  appointed 
to  locate  the  county  seat  was  received,  accepted,  and  the  officers  were  paid 
$60  and  discharged.     The  full  text  of  this  report   will   be  found  above. 

*  Three  Commissioners  only,  of  the  four  or  possibly  five  appointed  by  the  I  egisltiture.  met  on  this 
occasion. 


22  HISTORY    OF    WHITE   COUNTY. 

At  this  time  John  Barr  was  appointed  County  Agent.  The  county 
revenue  due  the  county  was  found  to  be  $189.  September  16th,  the 
county  agent  was  authorized  to  lay  off  the  county  seat  into  lots,  and  ad- 
vertise and  sell  a  certain  number  on  the  7th  of  November  on  the  follow- 
ing terms :  One  fourth  in  ninety  days  from  date,  the  remainder  in  two 
annual  payments,  the  purchaser  giving  good  security.  In  November, 
a  petition  signed  by  twelve  freeholders  was  presented  to  the  board  by 
John  Melholland  praying  that  all  the  attached  territory  west  of  White 
County  might  be  formed  into  a  township  to  be  called  Pine.  Granted. 
This  territory  comprised  all  of  Indiana  west  of  White  County  to  the  west 
line  of  the  State,  now  constituting  the  northern  part  of  Benton  County 
and  the  southern  portions  of  Jasper  and  Newton  Counties.  Elections  in 
the  new  township  of  Pine  were  ordered  held  at  the  house  of  E.  Thorn- 
ton, with  Matthew  Terwillager,  Inspector,  and  Lott  Thornton,  Constable. 
An   election  for  Justice  of  the  Peace  was   ordered    for    November  29, 

1834.  Cornelius  Clark  was  appointed  County  Assessor  for  1835,  his 
compensation  to  be  |14.87^.  The  first  petition  for  a  road  was  received 
from  Big  Creek  Township,  and  signed  by  thirteen  freeholders.  James 
Wilson,  Samuel  Gray  and  James  Kerr  were  appointed  Viewers.  This 
road  was  to  extend  from  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  19,  Township  26, 
Range  3,  on  the  nearest  and  best  route  to  the  county  seat.  The  receipts 
and  expenditures  of  the  county  from  July  19,  1884,  to  January  5,  1835, 
were  as  follows : 

RECEIPTS. 

Amount  of  collections |132.18f 

EXPENDITURES. 

County  orders  now    canceled 1K).37J 

Treasurer's  percentage 2.13|- 

Total $112.50| 

Balance  on  hand %  19. 68 

In  March,  1835,  alicenseof  $10  was  levied  upon  clock  venders,  of  $5  upon 
tavern  keepers,  and  of  $25  upon  grocery  keepers.  A  tax  upon  all  real  and 
personal  property  was  levied  to  the  full  limit  of  the  law:  40  cents  on  each  100 
acres  of  first  class  land,  30  cents  on  second  class  land,  and  20  cents  on  third 
class  land.  The  board  met  at  the  house  of  George  Spencer  until  May,  1835, 
when,  for  the  first  time,  they  convened  at  Monticello.     On  the  5th  of  May, 

1835,  the  County  Commissioners,  with  commendable  enterprise,  ordered 
that  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  the  county  be  called  for  the  12th  of 
June,  to  organize  an  agricultural  society  in  pursuance  of  legislative  en- 
actment.    The  board  ordered  that  a  large  lot  on  Tippecanoe  street  be 


HISTORY   OP    WHITE   COUNTY.  23 

donated  for  the  purpose  of  building  thereon  a  church  to  be  used  by  all 
religious  denominations.  In  September,  1835,  the  following  territory 
attached  to  White  County  on  the  north  was  formed  into  Marion  Town- 
ship :  All  that  territory  lying  north  of  the  township  line  between  Town- 
ships 28  and  29,  and  west  of  Tippecanoe  River,  and  westwardly  to  the 
State  line.  Elections  were  ordered  held  at  the  house  of  William  Dona- 
hue, with  Thomas  Randle,  Inspector.  The  26th  of  September  was  fixed 
for  the  election  of  a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  William  Donahue  was  made 
Road  Supervisor.  Melchi  Gray  was  paid  $25.50  for  assessing  the  county 
in  1835.     The  grocei-y  license  was  fixed  as  follows  : 

Capital  under  $300 $  6  license. 

Capital  over  $300  and  under  |600 $10  licenae. 

Capital  over  $600  and  under  $1,000 $15  license. 

In  January,  1836,  Robert  A.  Spencer  donated  the  county  of  White  a 
tract  of  land  18  rods  square  for  a  burying  ground.  The  Board  met  at 
the  house  of  Jonathan  Harbolt  in  March,  1836.  Peter  Martin  was  ap- 
pointed County  Assessor.  John  Barr,  County  Agent,  exhibited  his  re- 
port to  date  (March  8,  1836)  of  the  sale  of  county  lots  in  the  town  of 
Monticello,  as  follows  : 

Gross  receipt  of  sales  from  Nov.  7,  1834,  to  March  8,  1836 $1,870.37^ 

Amount  donated  by  sundry  individuals 110.00 

Total  receipts $1,980.37^ 

Paid  Jonathan  Harbolt  on  court-house $    ]  24.681 

Paid  Oliver  Hammond  do.  70.00 

Total  expenditures $    194.68^ 

Receipt  balance l,785.68f 

Total  cash  received  on  sales 566.06|^ 

Amount  of  sales  held  as  paper $1,414.31^ 

In  May,  1836,  the  Board  met  at  the  house  of  Rolland  Hews,  in  Monti- 
cello.  G.  A.  Spencer  was  re-appointed  County  Treasurer  for  1836-7, 
and  Jonathan  Harbolt,  Seminary  Trustee  for  the  same  period.  As  no 
agricultural  society  was  organized  as  calculated  in  1835,  and  as  stated 
above,  the  Commissioners  again  called  a  meeting  for  that  purpose  to  be 
held  at  Monticello  June  11,  1836.  In  November,  1836,  the  Board  met 
in  the  store-house  of  Reynolds  k  Castle  at  Monticello.  The  Three  per 
cent.  Commissioner  reported  having  received  from  the  State  in  accord  with 
a  legislative  enactment  the  sum  of  $1,311.74,  the  most  of  which  was  or- 
dered put  out  on  interest.  In  March,  1837,  the  Board  called  for  sealed 
proposals  for  renting  and  establishing  a  ferry  across  the  river  at  Monti- 
cello.    In  September  Lewis  Dawson   of  Pulaski  County,  which  county 


24  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

was  still  attached  to  White,  was  appointed  to  superintend  the  application 
of  the  three  per  cent,  fund  due  that  county.  In  November  the  Board 
met  at  the  house  of  Melchi  Gray  in  Monticello.  The  clerk  was  ordered 
in  1843  to  procure  a  half  bushel  and  a  gallon  measure  ;  also  a  branding 
iron  with  the  letters  W.  C.  on  the  same  to  mark  county  measures. 

Court-houses  and  Jails. — In  accordance  with  the  legislative  order  or- 
ganizing the  county  of  White,  the  first  Circuit  Court  convened  at  the 
house  of  George  A.  Spencer  in  Big  Creek  Township,  in  1834.  It  con- 
tinued to  sit  there  for  two  years,  or  until  the  autumn  of  1836,  when  it 
was  removed  to  the  county  seat.  This  old  building  is  yet  standing'  in  a 
fair  state  of  preservation. 

On  the  5th  of  May,  1835,  the  Commissioners  ordered  that  lot  29  in 
Monticello  be  set  apart  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  thereon  a  court-house 
of  the  following  size :  twenty  by  thirty-two  feet,  two  stories  high,  two 
partitions  above  dividing  the  rooms  equally,  and  one  below  dividing  the 
rooms  twelve  and  twenty  feet  in  length,  respectively;  one  brick  chimney 
to  the  small  room,  the  house  to  be  frame  and  of  first-rate  material,  and  to 
be  completed  by  the  15th  of  October,  1835.  Solomon  Sherwood,  B.  A. 
Spencer,  Jonathan  Harbolt  and  Oliver  Hammond  were  employed  to  build 
the  house,  but  the  work  was  not  fully  completed  until  about  May,  1837, 
the  total  cost  amounting  to  about  |800.  The  house  erected  was  not  in 
all  respects  as  described  above,  as  several  quite  important  alterations  were 
made.  About  this  time  the  jail  which  had  been  contracted  to  be  built  by 
Wm.  M.  Kenton  was  progressing,  but  the  same  was  not  completed  until 
late  in  1838,  the  total  cost  amounting  to  about  $600.  This  jail  was  pro- 
vided not  only  with  criminal  rooms,  but  also  with  a  room  for  such  persons 
as  could  not  or  would  not  pay  their  just  debts.  Such  rooms  were  in  de- 
mand in  those  early  days,  and  even  now  we  could  appreciate  the  wisdom 
of  such  a  law  in  many  instances. 

At  a  special  session  of  the  Board  in  February,  1845,  the  propriety  of 
building  county  ofiices  was  broached,  but  definite  consideration  of  the 
subject  was  postponed  until  the  regular  session  in  March.  Then,  ap- 
parently, the  subject  was  entirely  overlooked;  at  least  nothing  appears 
upon  the  records  to  show  that  the  consideration  was  resumed  as  ordered. 
In  June,  1846,  however,  the  County  Agent  was  ordered  to  take  measures 
to  have  erected  on  lot  29  a  frame  building,  sixteen  by  twenty  feet,  and 
one  story  high,  to  be  completed  by  September,  1846,  and  the  agent  was 
further  directed  to  call  for  sealed  proposals  for  the  erection  of  the 
building,  and  if  no  proposal  was  received,  then  to  contract  with  any 
responsible  person.  It  was  also  ordered  that  the  agent  proceed  to 
collect  a  sufiicient  amount  of  the  outstanding  donation  fund  as  would 
cover  the  cost  of  constructing  the  house.     Zachariah  Van   Buskirk  was 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE   COUNTY.  25 

employed,  and  the  house  was  completed  according  to  contract,  the 
total  cost  being  about  $500.  This  building  was  called  the  "  Clerk's 
Office." 

In  1848  the  work  of  building  a  new  and  much  larger  court-house 
was  begun,  George  BroWn  taking  the  contract.  No  definite  time  was 
set  for  the  completion  of  the  house,  as  the  funds  of  the  county  were 
very  low,  and  the  means  of  obtaining  suitable  additions  to  carry  on 
the  necessary  expense  were  largely  beyond  the  reach  of  the  Commis- 
sioners. County  orders  which  had  been  issued  to  the  amount  of  sev- 
eral thousand  dollars  were  selling  at  about  five  per  cent,  discount, 
and  new  ones  gave  no  promise  of  selling  for  a  better  figure — just  the 
reverse.  Regardless  of  this  discouraging  condition  of  affairs  the  Com- 
missioners borrowed  $2,000,  and  ordered  the  work  to  commence.  But 
the  progress  of  construction  hung  fire,  and  the  building  was  not  ready 
for  occupancy  until  1851.  The  total  cost,  including  the  furnishings, 
was  nearly  $8,000.  The  house  was  entirely  paid  for  within  a  year 
after  it  was  completed.  In  September,  1850,  the  "'  Clerk's  Office'" 
was  ordered  sold,  the  proceeds  to  be  applied  on  the  new  court-house.  On 
the  4th  of  December,  1851,  more  than  three  years  after  the  house  had 
been  commenced,  the  Board  ordered  the  offices  of  Clerk,  Auditor,  Re- 
corder and  Treasurer  removed  to  the  new  house.  The  Circuit  Court  oc- 
cupied the  new  court-room  that  fiill  for  the  first  time.  The  quaint  old 
brick  building,  with  its  long  corridor,  its  heavy  windows,  and  its  front 
"stoop  "  supported  by  two  massive  columns,  is  yet  occupied,  and  gives  prom- 
ise of  many  more  years  of  usefulness  despite  the  crevices  which  have 
pierced  its  sides,  and  the  decay  which  time  has  stamped  upon  its  walls 
Could  that  old  building  speak,  what  a  tale  it  could  unfold. 

In  June,  1854,  the  Board  gave  the  conti'act  for  a  new  jail  to  Michael 
A.  Berkey  and  J.  C.  Reynolds,  the  work  to  be  begun  inmiediately,  and 
the  building  to  be  finished  by  the  1st  of  June,  1855.  The  site  of  the 
structure  was  fixed  on  the  west  end  of  the  court-house  square.  The  con- 
tractors faithfully  performed  their  part  of  the  agreement,  though  the 
building  was  not  formally  accepted  by  the  Board  until  September,  1855. 
The  cost  Avas  $1,640. 

In  1864  it  was  found  necessary  to  build  a  new  jail.  Specifications 
were  exhibited,  proposals  were  called  for,  and  finally  the  contract  was 
awarded  to  Jacob  Hanaway  and  Charles  Breckinridge,  the  price  being 
$6,000.  At  this  time  the  county  Avas  not  embarrassed  to  provide  funds 
notwithstanding  the  drafts  made  upon  her  for  soldiers'  bounty,  relief  of 
soldiers'  widows  and  orphans,  and  road  and  bridge  expenses.  The  build- 
ing was  completed  in  1865,  and  accepted  by  the  Board  in  December. 
It  was  provided  with  strong  iron  cells  for  those  who  disobeyed  the  laws. 


26  HISTORY   OP   WHITE   COUNTY. 

In  1875  it  was  decided  to  build  a  new  jail,  and  plans  presented  by  Ran- 
dall and  Millard,  of  Chicago,  were  accepted.  The  contract  was  let  to 
Ralph  Dixon  at  $7,700.  John  Saunders  was  appointed  to  superintend 
the  construction.  The  building  was  immediately  commenced,  and  was 
carried  to  rapid  completion,  and  in  December  the  finished  jail,  with 
jailor's  residence  attached,  was  turned  over  to  the  County  Board,  and 
formally  accepted  by  them.     This  building  is  yet  in  use. 

County  Seminary. — About  the  time  the  county  was  organized  in  1834, 
a  legislative  enactment  was  passed,  providing  that  certain  fines,  penal- 
ties, etc.,  such  as  for  swearing,  breaking  the  Sabbath,  rioting,  etc.,  should 
be  appropriated  and  applied  toward  the  maintenance  of  a  County  Semi- 
nary. On  the  5th  of  May,  1835,  Jonathan  Harbolt  was  appointed  Semi- 
nary Trustee  to  serve  for  one  year.  In  January,  1886,  the  amount  of 
funds  on  hand  was  |84.  The  law  provided  that  when  $400  had  been 
obtained,  the  Board  might  proceed  to  erect  a  Seminary  building.  The 
increase  of  funds  was  very  slow,  there  having  been  collected  by  the  year 
1847  only  $211.30 ;  by  1849,  $274.69  ;  by  June,  1850,  $315 ;  by  June, 
1851,  $360.62 ;  by  June,  1852,  $403.28  ;  by  March,  1854,  $440  ;  and  by 
1857,  $781.43.  Just  about  the  time  the  Board  was  making  preparations 
to  build  a  Seminary,  the  new  school  law  came  into  efi"ect,  and  the  funds 
were  turned  over  to  the  common  schools.  Thus  the  Seminary  project 
ended. 

County  Library. — Another  scheme  of  a  similar  character  was  that  for 
securing  and  maintaining  a  County  Library.  Funds  were  secured  in 
much  the  same  way  as  for  the  Seminary.  A  few  books  were  purchased 
as  early  as  1838,  and  from  time  to  time  were  added  to,  until  in  1845 
several  hundred  volumes  were  scattered  over  the  county  in  the  homes  of 
the  early  settlers.  In  1845  the  Board  of  Commissioners  organized  them- 
selves as  Trustees  of  the  County  Library,  Allen  Barnes  becoming  pres- 
ident, and  Charles  W.  Kendall,  librarian  and  clerk.  The  clerk  was 
directed  to  gather  in  by  public  notice  all  the  scattered  books,  and  prepare 
a  suitable  catalogue,  and  keep  the  binding  in  repair ;  also  purchase,  as  the 
funds  would  allow,  additional  books.  He  was  likewise  instructed  to  pre- 
pare a  constitution  and  by-laws,  to  be  submitted  to  the  Trustees  for  their 
adoption,  if  satisfactory.  All  this  was  complied  with.  J.  C.  Reynolds 
was  appointed  treasurer  of  the  library.  C.  W.  Kendall  refused  to  serve 
as  librarian  and  clerk,  and  J.  M.  Rifenberrick  was  appointed.  John  R. 
Willey  became  librarian  in  1849.  At  last  the  scheme  was  abandoned 
by  the  State,  and  the  books  became  scattered,  lost,  and  were  not  re- 
placed. Township  libraries  took  the  place  of  the  old  county  library.  A 
number  of  years  ago  the  McClure  bequest  furnished  the  county  with  mis- 
cellaneous books.     The    splendid  system  of  newspapers  throughout  the 


.>,;.4i4 


MONTJGELLO   PUBLIC  SCHOOL  BUlLDIMG. 


THl  NEW  YOKK 
PUBLIC  LIBKART 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE   COUNTY.  '       29 

United  States,  and  an  abundance  of  cheap  books,  have  obliterated 
the  conditions  requiring  the  continuance  of  the  old  systems  of  county  and 
township  libraries.  The  larger  towns  and  many  of  the  smaller  ones  have 
extensive  circulating  libraries,  but  the  newspaper  is  the  great  "  book"  of 
the  American  people.  Its  usefulness  has  tripled  within  the  last  twenty 
years.     The  effects  will  be  seen  fifty  years  hence. 

The  report  of  John  Barr,  County  Agent,  of  the  sale  of  county  lots  in 
Monticello  from  the  7th  of  November,  1834,  to  the  28th  of  April,  1837, 
was  as  follows  : 

RECEIPTS. 

Total,  including  $110.00  donated  by  sundry  persons $5,120.95 

EXPENDITURES. 

Amount  transferred  to  Mr.'Rifenberrick,  present  agent 8,738.77 

Vouchers  on  file 1,180.00 

Note,  with  interest  to  date,  to  Mr.  Rifenberrick 202.82 

Total Ii!5,121.5y 

The  sale  of  county  lots  was  for  many  years  an  important  source 
of  revenue.  When  the  Commissioners  were  in  a  strait,  they  would 
authorize  the  sale  of  a  specified  number,  and  the  immediate  collection  of 
the  proceeds  of  former  sales.  Many  years  sometimes  elapsed  before  lots 
were  paid  for,  and  in  a  few  instances  the  lots  were  returned  to  the  Com- 
missioners, the  purchaser  utterly  failing  to  pay  as  promised.  These  lots 
were  donated  to  the  county  by  the  proprietors  of  Monticello  in  consider- 
ation of  having  the  county  seat  located  there. 

Miscellaneous  Items  of  Interest. — In  1846  the  annual  expense  of  the 
county  officers  had  risen  from  almost  nothing  to  $425,47;  in  1848  to 
$496.04  ;  in  1850  to  $580.51 ;  in  1851  to  $819.17  ;  in  1852  to  $1,378.96  ; 
in  1855  to  $916.15  ;  in  1859  to  $1,557.09  ;  in  1864  to  $2,597.46  ;  in 
1868  to  $2,736.32 ;  in  1872  to  $3,210.32;  in  1876  to  $5,851.23;  in  1880 
to  $3,462.72. 

For  the  year  1834,  the  county  receipts  were  $202. 06|;  expenditures, 
$202.06^.  For  the  year  ending  May,  1836,  receipts,  $290,381;  expendi- 
tures, $267. 861.  In  1839,  receipts,  $717.47;  expenditures,  $717.09.  In 
1842,  receipts,  $1,477.13;  expenditures,  $1,136.81.  In  1845,  receipts, 
$2,416.99;  expenditures,  $2,337.79.  In  1849,  receipts,  $5,931.82; 
expenditures,  $7,018.72.  In  1855,  receipts,  $10,948.79  ;  expenditures, 
$11,800.29  ;  balance  on  hand,  $993.78.  In  1858,  receipts,  $19,662.30  ; 
expenditures,  $20,797.15.  In  1864,  receipts,  $44,572.17;  expenditures, 
$48,311.51.  In  1868,  receipts,  $78,551.47;  expenditures,  $72,353.70. 
In    1872,   receipts,    $82,908.27;  expenditures,  $78,629.27.     In  1876, 


30 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 


receipts,  |8T,110.96  ;   expenditures,  $108,516.05.     In    1880,    receipts, 
1120,895.07;  expenditures,  $119,674.52. 

The  auditor's  report  of  receipts  and  expenditures  for  the  financial  yeai 
ending  on  the  31st  of  May,  A.  D.  1882,  was  as  follows: 


RECEIPTS. 

Balance  in  Treasury  June  1,  1881 |42,326  23 

Net  amount  of  State  tax  of  1881, 3,450  00 

New  State  House  tax  of  1881 522  43 

State  School  tax  of  1881, 4,649  16 

County  tax  of  1881, 11,278  68 

Township  tax  of  1881, 1,554  09 

Road  tax  of  1881, 8,091  47 

Tuition  tax  of  1881, 5,716  03 

Special  School  tax  of  188 1 , \ 5,041  71 

Dog  tax  of  1881, 552  19 

Delinquent  tax  1880  and  previous  years 41,572  01 

Common  School  Revenue  from  State, ,  11,992  70 

Redemption  of  real  estate, 4,236  30 

University  Fund,  Principal, 135  00 

"              "     Interest, 26  25 

Swamp  Land  Sales 50  00 

Circuit  Couit  Docket  fees, 277  55 

"           ' '     Jury    fees, 64  50 

"      Bailiff  fees, 32  75 

Railroad  tax 15,487  00 

Receipts  from  other  counties  for  court  expenses, . .  794  05 

Received  from  Ex-treasurer  Rothrock's  bondsmen,  1,900  00 

Sale  of  stock  from  county  farm, 98  10 

Miscellaneous  Receipts, 365  39 

Received  from  Ditch  Assessments, 589  16 


Total  Receipts 


.$160,802  75 


EXPENDITURES. 

Net   amount   of  State    t^x  of  1881,    paid  over. 
New  State  House  tax  of '81,"       "    . 
State  School  tax  of '81, 
Delinquent  State  tax  "       "     . 

Del.  State  House  tax  "       "  . 

"         "     School  tax  "       "  . 

Circuit  Court  docket  fees      "       "  . 
University  fund.  Principal    "        "   . 
"  "     Interest      "       "  . 

Swamp  land  funds  "       "  . 

Specific  Expense 

Prisoner 
County  Officers 
Jurors 
Bailiffs 
Court 


$3^ 


450  00 
522  43 
,649  16 
,819  35 
595  70 
,357  40 
277  55 
135  00 
26  25 
50  00 
,624  81 
501  03 
,964  17 
,317  20 
403  00 
,922  42 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  31 

Pauper  "        2,273  66 

Poor  Farm  "         1 ,810  59 

Attorneys  "         292  50 

Coroner's  Inquest  "         106  70 

Road  "        535  50 

Ditch  "        2,870  28 

Fox  and  Wolf  scalps  "        348  00 

Public  Printing  "         357  97 

Stationery  "         2,022  50 

Assessing  "        1,431  25 

Blind  and  Insane  "        298  82 

Fuel  "        308  80 

Bridge  "        2,492  89 

Deaf  and  Dumb  "        43  75 

Surveyor's  fees  "         4  55 

Estray  "         443  04 

Public  building  "        1,100  52 

County  Sup' t  "        736  41 

Redemp'nofland  "         4,098  34 

Township              fund  paid         Trustees....  5,268  48 

Road                        "                  "                 "        12,250  83 

Special  school         «  "  "        ....  9,845  98 

Tuition                    '•  "  "        ....  9,229  07 

Common  school      "  "  "         . . . .  12,212  88 

Dog                         "                  "                 "        968  76 

Interest  paid  on  County  Orders 30 

Bonds 1,200  00 

Bonds     Redeemed 6,000  00 

Ditch  Certificates  Redeemed 980  66 

Total  Disbursements $110,148  49 

RECAPITULATION. 

Total   Receipts  to  June  1,  1882 $160,802  76 

Total  Expenditures  to   June  1,  1882 110,148  49 

Balance  in  Treasury  June  1, 1882 $50,654  26 

Of  the  amount    of  balance  in  Treasury,    there    is  due     the 

Townships  and  Corporations $17,582  67 

Railroad  Tax 16,208  58 

County  Bond   Fund 10,943  17 

County    Funds 5,919  84 

Total $50,654  26 

H.  Van  VOORST,  Auditor, 
*  M.  T.  DIDLAKE,  Treasurer. 

County  Paupers^ — The  first  expense  incurred  by  the  county  in  the 
care  of  public  paupers,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  was  in  April,  1839, 
when  the  Commissioners  ordered  paid  to  James  Mill  the  sum  of  $25  for 
taking  care  of  a  helpless  person  named  Robert  Ellison.  The  total  pauper 
expense  for   the  year  ending  May  1,  1839,  was  $39 ;  for  the  year    end- 


32  HISTORY    OF    WHITE   COUNTY. 

ing  June  9,  1841,  $40.77  ;  for  the  year  ending  June  1,  1846,  $161.79  ; 
for  the  year  ending  June  1,  1847,  $212.68 ;  for  the  year  ending  June  1, 
1852,  $184.19 ;  for  the  year  ending  June  1,  1854,  $581.73 ;  for  the 
year  ending  June  1,  1856,  $817.36  ;  for  the  year  ending  June  1,  1858, 
11,217.40;  for  the  year  ending  June  1,  1860,  $1,578.98;  for  the  year 
ending  June  1,  1864,  $2,083.45  ;  for  the  year  ending  June  1,  1868, 
$1,867.56;  for  the  year  ending  June  1,  1873,  $1,177.31;  for  the  year 
ending  .June  1,  1878,  $2,625.09,  and  for  the  year  ending  June  1,  1882, 
$2,273.66,  The  poor  were  at  first  taken  care  of  by  individuals  to  whom 
they  were  confided,  the  lowest  bidder  assuming  the  responsibility.  Pro- 
posals for  the  care  of  the  indigent  were  received  from  any  respectable 
family.  The  expense  was  borne  by  the  county.  This  plan  was  called 
"farming  out  "  the  paupers,  and  probably  was  a  class  of  husbandry  simi- 
lar to  "  baby  farming,"  as  sung  of  by  Little  Buttercup : 

"  A  many  years  ago 
When  I  was  young  and  charming, 

As  some  of  you  may  know 
I  practiced  baby  farming." 

Some  years  the  crop  was  almost  a  failure,  owing  doubtless  to  the  pov- 
erty of  the  soil  ;  but  at  other  times  the  yield  satisfied  the  most  exacting 
producer,  though  the  Commissioners  on  such  occasions  were  usually  blue. 
The  first  farm  for  the  poor  was  purchased  in  1857  of  J.  C.  Reynolds,  and 
consisted  of  160  acres,  a  portion  of  the  present  farm.  Small  tracts  have 
been  added  from  time  to  time  since,  until  at  present  there  are  about  280 
acres.  At  the  time  the  first  land  was  purchased,  there  was  standing  upon 
it  an  ordinary  dwelling  of  that  period,  which  was  fitted  up  for  the  care 
of  such  indigent  persons  as  could  not  be  "  farmed  out."  This  building 
was  much  improved  as  the  years  passed,  and  new  structures  were  erected 
to  keep  pace  with  the  demand  of  the  poor  for  care.  Notwithstanding  the 
home  thus  prepared,  many  of  the  county's  helpless  have  not  been  removed 
to  that  haven  at  all,  but  have  been  kept  by  private  individuals  through- 
out the  county,  often  from  motives  of  delicacy,  they  not  wishing  to  incur 
the  considered  disgrace  of  a  removal  of  their  relatives  to  a  public  poor- 
house.  At  the  same  time  an  allowance  for  the  care  of  such  helpless  per- 
sons was  made  by  the  County  Board.  In  fh?  Autumn  of  1875  it  was  de- 
cided to  erect  a  more  commodious  poorhouse.  The  c  )ntract  was  awarded 
to  Harbolt  and  Til  ton,  the  house  to  be  a  frame,  and  to  cost  $3,000.  The 
work  was  begun,  and  the  building  was  ready  for  occupancy  in  December. 
The  present  facilities  for  the  care  of  the  poor  are  surpassed  by  but  few 
counties  in  the  State.  The  superintendents  of  the  poor  farm  have  been 
as  follows  :   Charles  Rider,  1858 ;  Samuel  Downs,   1859-60  ;    Gordon 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE   COUNTY.  33 

McWilliams,  1861  ;  Samuel  Downs,  1862  ;  Gordon  McWilliams,  1863- 
64  ;  Samuel  K.  McClintock,  1865-66  ;  Daniel  Wall,  1867-69 ;  John 
Steen,  1870-71  ;  John  W.  Snyder,  1872  ;  Abraham  Ballantine,  1873 ; 
Benjamin  H.  Brusie,  1874-79;  John  Snyder,  1881-82;  Isaac  Amick, 
1883. 

Agricultural  Societi/. — A  few  years  after  the  county  was  organized, 
attempts  were  made  to  organize  an  agricultural  society  pursuant  to  an 
enactment  of  the  State  Legislature  approved  about  the  year  1838.  Meet- 
ings were  held  for  that  purpose,  and  something  in  the  Avay  of  organiza- 
tion was  effected,  but  there  all  effort  died  Avithout  hope  of  early  resurrec- 
tion. The  citizens  of  Reynolds  and  vicinity  deserve  great  credit  for 
early  action  in  the  direction  of  a  promotion  of  agricultural,  horticultural, 
and  stock  breeding  interests.  The  People's  Agricultural  Society  was  or- 
ganized there  twenty-five  years  ago,  and  much  interest  was  manifested, 
and  it  was  no  doubt  largely  due  to  this  interest  that  the  county  at  large 
took  up  the  matter.  So  far  as  can  be  learned,  nothing  further  was  done 
until  October,  1857,  at  which  time  the  citizens  of  Big  Creek  Township 
assembled,  called  A.  S.  White  to  the  chair,  appointed  E.-  D.  Smith, 
Secretary,  and  adopted  the  following  resolution ; 

Resolved,  That  this  meeting  deem  it  expedient  that  an  effort  be  made  to  organize  an 
Agricultural  Society  in  White  County,  and  that  the  citizens  of  the  county  be  required 
to  assemble  at  Monticello,  Saturday,  November  14th,  at  noon,  to  consult  upon  the  subject, 
and  if  deemed  admissible  to  take  proper  steps  for  the  organization  of  such  society.  A 
general  attendance  from  each  township  is  requested. 

A  respectable  attendance  of  the  citizens  of  the  county  answered  the 
call  on  the  14th  of  November,  on  which  occasion  David  Turpie  was  made 
Chairman  and  Abel  T.  Smith,  Secretary.  A.  F.  Reed,  Lucius  Pierce 
and  Abel  T.  Smith  were  appointed  a  committee  to  draft  articles  of  asso- 
ciation, and  report  at  the  next  meeting.  Adjourned  until  the  7th  of  De- 
cember. On  this  day  the  White  County  Agricultural  Society  was  fully 
organized.  The  following  members  were  elected  the  first  officers  :  Al- 
bert S.  White,  President;  Lucius  Pierce,  Vice-President;  Randolph 
Brearly,  Treasurer.  Directors,  R.  W.  Sill,  of  Honey  Creek ;  Anderson 
Irions,  of  West  Point ;  John  A.  Bunnell,  of  Princeton ;  C.  Hayes,  of 
Prairie ;  John  C.  Hughes,  of  Liberty ;  W.  H.  King,  of  Cass  ;  James  El- 
liott, of  Jackson  ;  Peter  Price,  of  Union  ;  A.  A.  Cole,  of  Monon,  and 
George  A.  Spencer,  of  Big  Creek.  Over  one  hundred  persons  signed 
the  constitution,  and  paid  the  fee  of  membership.  At  meetings  held  the 
following  spring  all  necessary  committees  for  the  first  fair  to  be  held  the 
Autumn  of  1858  were  appointed.  A  respectable  premium  list  was  pre- 
pared, and  a  really  fine  display  resulted.  Not  only  were  all  departments 
3 


34  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

of  the  farm  represented,  but  tlie  arts  and  the  mechanical  industries  were 
required  to  contribute  to  the  general  success  of  the  occasion.  After  this, 
fairs  were  held  quite  regularly,  often  with  abundant  success,  but  some- 
times with  but  little  display  or  interest,  for  about  ten  years ;  since  which 
time,  all  eiforts  for  a  revival  of  this  very  important  enterprise  have  en- 
countered flat  failure.  Before  this  society  was  organized,  a  local  Agricult- 
ural Society,  called  "  The  Farmers'  Association,"  was  instituted  (probably 
in  Jackson  Township),  the  objects  of  which  were  about  the  same  as  or- 
dinary societies  for  the  promotion  of  agriculture,  etc.  The  organization 
was  completed  in  February,  1857,  and  on  the  7th  of  November  following 
a  fair  was  held  where  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  swine,  vegetables,  grain  and 
fancy  household  work  were  exhibited.  The  Agricultural  Society  that 
was  organized  the  same  fall,  as  stated  above,  was  the  legitimate  outgrowth 
of  this  "  Farmers'  Association."  Unfortunately  the  names  of  the  mem- 
bers can  not  be  given.  It  is,  perhaps,  unnecessary  to  call  attention  to 
the  importance  of  having  in  the  county  a  society  of  this  character.  The 
County  Commissioners  should  purchase  the  ground,  and  fit  it  with  suitable 
buildings  and  accommodations.  This  would  insure  a  permanent  organiza- 
tion. 

Medical  Society. — On  the  26th  of  April,  1864,  pursuant  to  notice, 
eight  members  of  the  medical  profession  of  White  County  met  at  the 
office  of  Dr.  Haymond  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  medical  society. 
Dr.  Anderson  was  made  chairman,  and  a  constitution  previously  prepared 
was  read  and  adopted.  An  election  of  permanent  officers  resulted  as  fol- 
lows :  Dr.  Haymond,  President ;  Dr.  Medaris,  Vice-President ;  Dr. 
Blackwell,  Secretary.  The  time  of  meeting  was  fixed  for  the  second 
Tuesday  of  each  month.  Various  committees  were  appointed,  and  Dr. 
Anderson  was  selected  to  prepare  and  read  at  the  next  meeting,  an  essay 
on  any  medical  subject  he  might  choose.  The  society  then  adjourned  to 
meet  at  Reynold's  the  second  Tuesday  in  May  next.  Among  other 
things  the  constitution  provided  that  none  but  "  Regular  Physicians  "  liv- 
ing in  the  county  could  become  members ;  that  three  members  should 
constitute  a  quorum ;  that  at  each  regular  meeting  the  President  should 
appoint  a  member  to  prepare  an  essay  on  some  subject  connected  with 
medicine  to  be  read  at  the  next  meeting ;  that  physicians  of  other  coun- 
ties might  become  honorary  members.  Some  of  the  early  members  were 
C.  A.  Barnes,  H.  P.  Anderson,  W.  H.  Ball,  John  A.  Blackwell,  W.  S. 
Haymond,  John  Medaris,  J.  R.  Skidmore,  John  A.  Wood,  William 
Spencer,  J.  H.  Thomas,  William  Mote,  A.  V.  Moore,  H.  D.  Riddile,  C. 
E.  Lamon,  R.  A.  Harcourt  and  A.  B.  Ballou.  Other  members  were  A. 
B.  Jones,  F.  A.  Grant,  R.  H.  Delzell,  R.  S.  Black,  W.  Tracy,  W.  V. 
Trowbridge,  John  Harcourt,  M.  T.  Didlake,  W.  Holtzman,    R.  J.  Clark 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  35 

and  S.  11.  Parks.  Meetings  continued  to  be  held  quite  regularly,  much 
interest  being  manifested,  until  1869,  when  they  were  abandoned,  though 
they  were  resumed  again  in  October,  1875,  at  which  time  some  modifi- 
cations in  the  laws  were  made.  Several  other  intervals  when  no  meet- 
ing were  held  have  elapsed.  The  society  is  at  present  in  a  prosperous 
condition.  It  has  been  the  custom  since  the  society  was  first  established 
to  hold  "clinics"  and  thoroughly  discuss  the  cases  in  open  debate. 
Interesting  essays  on  all  conceivable  medical  subjects  have  been  read  and 
discussed  with  an  interest  and  vigor  highly  praiseworthy.  The  result 
has  been  to  stimulate  medical  study  and  investigation,  and  give  each 
member  the  benefit  of  the  learning  and  experience  of  all  his  fellows. 
Some  of  the  subjects  discussed  were  as  follows  :  Cerebro  spinal  meningi- 
tis, erysipelas,  dysentery,  prolapsus  ani,  endo  and  pericarditis,  chloroform 
in  parturition,  Asiatic  cholera,  typhoid  fever,  etc.  Physicians  of  other 
schools,  such  as  Eclectic  and  Homeopathic,  are  debarred  from  becoming 
members,  but  it  must  be  said  that  some  of  the  most  successful  medical 
practitioners  in  the  county  are  graduates  of  these  celebrated  schools. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  county  physicians  :  L.  A.  Alford,  S.  B. 
Bushnell,  R.  J.  Clark,  William  Tracy,  William  Spencer,  Caleb  Scott,  J. 
P>.  Burton,  S.  R.  Cowger,  H.  B.  Jones,  R.  B.  Palmer,  F.  A.  Grant,  A. 
J.  Dern,  Isidore  Welte,  W.  V.  Trowbridge,  R.  M.  Delzell,  A.  V.  Men- 
denhall,  D.  W.  Strouse,  A.  B.  Ballou,  M.  C.  Kent,  William  Guthrie, 
John  C.  Sharrer,  T.  B.  Robinson,  D.  M.  Kelley,  J.  W.  McAllister,  W.  H. 
Holtzman,  John  Medaris,  W.  K.  Briscoe,  J.  T.  Smith,  W.  J.  Baugh,  L.  W. 
Henry,  L.  Ramsey,  H.  J.  Banta,  J.  W.  Fogg,  Mrs.  Eliza  Barans  (midwiff(), 
Jane  McKillop  (midwife),  M.  L.  Carr,  W.  W.  Wilkerson,  S.  D.  Sluyter, 
G.  R.  Clayton,  R.  R.  Ober,  Caroline  Wittenberg,  J.  V.  Reed,  J.  A. 
Wood,  S.  H.  Parks,  J.  B.  Baudle,  W.  R.  Aydelotte,  and  H.  E.  Small. 

Creation  of  Towviships. — The  county  was  at  first  divided  into  Prairie, 
Big  Creek,  Union  and  Jackson  Townships  on  the  19th  of  July,  1884. 
The  limits  of  these  townships  were  described  a  few  pages  back.  Monon 
was  created  in  January,  1836;  Liberty  in  September,  1837  ;  Princeton, 
March,  1844  ;  West  Point,  June,  1845 ;  Cass,  June,  1848  ;  Honey  Creek, 
June,  1855  ;  Round  Grove,  December,  1858.  Scarcely  a  township  was 
created  with  its  present  boundaries,  but  all  have  been  subjected  to  nu- 
merous and  various  alterations,  an  account  of  which  will  be  found  under 
the  appropriate  heads. 

County  Si'.at  Question. — Citizens  in  different  portions  of  the  county 
have  made  efforts  from  time  to  time,  even  as  late  as  fifteen  years  ago,  to 
either  have  the  county  seat  located  at  some  other  point,  or  to  have  a  new 
county  formed  partly  out  of  White  and  partly  out  of  several  other  sur- 
rounding counties.     It  was   thought  to  have  a  county   created,   the  geo- 


36  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

graphical  center  of  which  would  be  in  Jackson  Township,  thus  transform- 
ing Idaville  or  Burnettsville  into  a  county  seat,  and  throwing  the  county 
seat  of  White  County  eight  or  ten  miles  westward.  It  is  not  likely  that 
a  change  of  this  character  will  occur ;  at  least  the  citizens  of  Monticello 
would  squander  their  ready  money  to  prevent  so  dire  a  disaster  to  their 
pecuniary  interests. 

County  Statistics,  1880.— Acres  of  wheat,  19,800,  bushels,  257,092  ; 
acres  of  corn,  36,888,  bushels,  1,035,203;  acres  of  oats,  18,884,  bushels, 
231,176  ,  acres  of  barley,  34,  bushels,  460 ;  acres  of  rye,  269,  bushels, 
2,577  ;  acres  of  Irish  potatoes,  294,  bushels,  16,472  ;  acres  of  tobacco,  9, 
pounds,  600  ,  acres  of  buckwheat,  339,  bushels,  3,347  ;  acres  of  timothy 
meadow,  13,704,  tons  of  timothy  hay,  16,725  ;  bushelsof  timothy  seed,  202 ; 
acres  of  clover,  579,  bushels  of  seed,  568  ;  acres  of  flax,  844,  bushels  of  flax- 
seed, 4,011,  tons  of  straw,  20  ;  steam  threshers,  12  ;  horse-power  threshers, 
11 ;  bushels  of  apples,  59,710  ;  bushels  of  dried  apples,  830  ;  bushels  of 
pears,  91 ;  bushels  of  peaches,  1,032;  pounds  of  grapes,  20,353  ;  gallons  of 
strawberries,  398;  gallons  of  cherries,  1,596  ;  stands  of  bees,  1,239;  pounds 
of  honey,  16,724  ;  cattle,  14,491;  horses,  5,366;  mules,  525;  hogs,  28,550; 
sheep,  12,982;  gallons  of  cider,  46,160;  gallons  of  vinegar,  5,202;  gallons 
of  wine,  81;  gallons  of  sorghum  molasses,  4,956;  gallons  of  maple  molasses, 
40;  pounds  of  butter,  217,522;  dozens  of  eggs,  134,482;  pounds  of  feath- 
ers, 1,846 ;  township  teachers'  Institutes  held,  41  (1881) ;  male  teachers, 
82  '^  female  teachers,  42  ;  brick  schoolhouses,  1 ;  frame  schoolhouses,  107  ; 
value  oi  schoolhouses  and  grounds,  $92,500  ;  volumes  of  township  libraries, 
1,148 ;  number  of  private  schools,  15 ;  common  and  congressional  school 
fund,  $55,153.75  ;  cubic  feet  of  sandstone  quarried,  153 ;  cubic  feet  of  lime- 
stone quarried,  162. 

Population.— In  1830,  probably  40 ;  in  1840,  1,832;  in  1850,  4,761; 
in  1860,  8,258;  in  1870,  10,554;  in  1880,  13,747;  as  follows:  Union, 
2,213  ;  Round  Grove  and  White  Post,  1,635;  Jackson,  1,724;  Cass  and 
Liberty,  1,785 ;  Monon,  1,172 ;  Honey  Creek,  902  ;  Big  Creek,  776 ; 
Prairie,  2,144 ,  Princeton,  1,396. 

Old  /Settlers'  Association. — The  first  organized  gathering  of  the  old  set- 
tlers of  White  County  took  place  at  the  grove  of  George  Spencer  in  Big 
Creek  Township  in  the  autumn  of  1858.  Many  were  present  and  a 
pleasant  day  was  spent,  though  the  details  can  not  be  given.  The  follow- 
ing year  the  second  meeting  was  held  at  the  same  place,  and  of  this  meet- 
ing, also,  there  are  no  existing  records.  The  meeting  of  September  8, 
1860,  was  held  at  the  same  place,  several  hundreds  of  the  oldest  residents 
being  present.  George  A.  Spencer  was  made  President ;  Thomas  Spen- 
cer, John  Roberts  and  W.  M.  Kenton,  Vice-Presidents ;  Lucius  Pierce, 
Marshal,  and   J.   J.   Barnes,    Secretary.     Rev.    H.   C.  McBride,   Hon. 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  37 

Charles  Test  and  Alfred  Reed  addressed  the  assemblage,  reviewing  in 
outline  the  history  of  the  county,  the  mingled  hardships  and  joys  of 
earlier  years,  and  extolling  the  hardy  courageof  the  pioneers.  A  fine 
dinner  was  enjoyed,  and  the  remainder  of  the  day  was  spent  in  narrating 
personal  experiences  of  the  first  settlement.  It  is  quite  likely  that  no 
further  meetings  were  held  until  the  present  association  was  formed,  as  the 
war  came  on  and  engrossed  the  public  mind. 

Pursuant  to  notice,  a  large  meeting  of  old  settlers  was  held  at  the  court- 
house in  Monticello,  Saturday,  August  16,  1873.  C.  W.  Kendall  was 
elected  temporary  Chairman,  and  0.  S.  Dale,  Secretary.  The  permanent 
officers  elected  were  Alfred  Reed,  President ;  C.  W.  Kendall,  Secretary, 
and  Israel  Nordyke,  Treasurer ;  Peter  Price,  William  Burns,  Robert 
Rothrock,  Solomon  McCully,  Noah  Davis,  Thomas  Downey,  Samuel 
Smelcer,  Nathaniel  Rogers,  John  Burns,  Joseph  McBeth,  Joseph  H.  Thomp- 
son, William  Jourdan  and  Austin  Ward,  Vice-Presidents.  It  was  de- 
cided that  persons  living  in  the  county  twenty-one  years  should  be  consid- 
ered old  settlers.  A  meeting  was  then  fixed  for  the  25th  of  September,  and 
a  suitable  program  prepared.  The  procession  formed  at  the  court-house 
on  the  day  stated,  and  marched  to  the  Fair  Ground,  where  miscellaneous 
services  were  enjoyed.  The  meeting  of  1874  was  held  at  Reynold's  Grove 
near  Monticello,  as  was  that  of  1875  and  of  1876.  At  the  latter  meeting 
a  long  historical  address  was  read  by  Milton  M.  Sill.  Meetings  have 
been  held  annually  since.  It  has  been  customary  to  procure  some  speaker 
from  abroad ;  but  the  most  interesting  and  valuable  features  of  the  meet- 
ings are  the  personal  reminiscences  of  the  old  settlers.*  The  usual  pro- 
gram is  something  like  this  :  1.  Music  by  the  band.  2.  Prayer.  3. 
Reading  of  Minutes.  4.  Music  by  the  old  settlers'  choir.  5.  Calling  roll 
of  old  settlers.  6.  Picnic  dinner.  7.  Old  songs.  8.  Historical  and  mis- 
cellaneous addresses.  9.  Election  of  officers.  10.  Annual  address.  11. 
Social  enjoyment.  12.  Adjournment.  The  total  membership  since  1873 
has  been  340.  The  officers  for  the  ensuing  year  (1882-3)  are:  Presi- 
dent, B.  K.  Roach ;  Vice-Presidents,  Charles  Reid,  Sen.,  George  Cullen, 
Thomas  Barnes,  Jesse  L.  Watson,  D.  M.  Tilton,  C.  C.  Spencer,  John 
Gay,  Stewart  Rariden,  Anderson  Irion,  Isaac  M.  Davis  and  Aaron 
Wood ;  Secretary,  A.  R.  Orton  ;  Treasurer,  W.  B.  Spencer. 

Educational  Statistics. — In  1840  there  was  but  one  established  school 

•  It  is  a  serious  mistake  that  the  incidents  of  early  days,  as  narrated  at  these  meetings,  are  not 
carefully  preserved.  What  will  the  descendants  of  the  old  settlers  think,  fifty  years  hence,  of  the 
fact  that  an  old  settlers'  meeting  was  held,  for  instance,  in  1880  ?  They  won't  care  a  straw  for  such 
knowledge.  They  will  want  the  stories  told  by  you,  and  ymt— the  actual  and  detailed  experiences 
of  their  grandfathers.  They  will  want  your  deer  stories,  your  Indian  stories,  your  stories  of  priva- 
tion, descriptions  of  schools,  churches,  domestic  experiences,  journeys  to  mill  and  to  towu— not  of 
such  things  in  general,  but  what  you  actually  saw  and  passed  through.  By  all  means  old  settlera 
should  see  that  such  things  are  recorded.    If  necessar>-  a  competent  clerk  could  1  e  hired, 


38  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

in  White  County,  and  that  was  at  Monticello.  Schools  had  been  taught 
in  other  places,  notably  in  Prairie  Township,  but  no  schoolhouses  had 
been  erected  where  steady  or  regular  schools  were  taught.  The  first 
Teachers'  Institute  was  held  in  1866  with  an  attendance  of  82.  In  1865 
there  were  76  teachers,  and  two  graded  schools  with  five  teachers.  The 
first  graded  school  was  taught  by  George  Bowman  in  1848-9.  In  1878 
there  were  4,590  school  children ;  in  1868  there  were  3,673,  and  in  1852 
there  were  in  Township  27,  Range  3,  394;  T.  28,  R.  3,  213;  T.  27,  R. 
2,  303 ;  T.  27,  R.  5,  113  ;  T.  26,  R.  3,  146 ;  T.  28,  R.  4,  142 ;  T.  25, 
R.  2,  118  ;  T.  25,  R.  3,  148  ;  T.  25,  R.  4,  197 ;  T.  26,  R.  4,  117. 
The  net  amount  of  school  tax  in  1851  was  $822.45.  In  March,  1853, 
the  surplus  revenue  Avas  $2,125  ;  interest,  $166.41 ;  total,  $2,291.41  ; 
expense  from  this  fund,  $145.16. 

Report  for  the  year  ending  April  30,  1856 : 

Number  of  Children.  Total  School  Fund. 

Prairie 466 $  548.86 

Big  Creek 211 458.63 

Union 523 377.90 

Monon 342 397.45 

Liberty 269 278.70 

Jackson 374 317.78 

Princeton 169 159.89 

West  Point ....  138 324.46 

Cass 138 195.41 

Honey  Creek 76 113.21 

Total 2706 $3,371.79 

In  1878  there  Avere  seven  graded  schools  Avith  tAA'elve  teachers.  At 
the  same  time  there  were  124  teachers  in  the  county  ;  also  102  school- 
houses.  Per  cent,  of  children  enrolled  in  the  schools  in  1878  v^^as  83. 
Number  of  children  not  attending  school,  762.  J^umber  of  teachers  in 
1877,  113.  Number  of  schoolhouses  in  1853,  25.  Amount  of  congres- 
sional school  fund  held  in  trust  in  1878,  $35,570.96.  Estimated  value  of 
school  property,  $91,850.  Estimated  value  of  school  apparatus,  $2,015. 
Estimated  special  school  tax,  $11,079.50.  Number  of  volumes  in  town- 
ship library,  1,356.  Number  of  pri\'ate  schools  taught  in  public,  20. 
Number  of  toAvnship  institutes  during  the  year  (1878),  45.  Amount  of 
common  school  fund  held  in  trust  in  1878,  $13,983.26.  Annual  revenue 
from  liquor  license,  $700.  Tuition  revenue  for  schools,  $7,688.86.  Whole 
number  of  teachers  licensed — males,  147,  females,  103.  Number  rejected, 
80.  Attendance  at  one  county  institute,  178.  Tavo  Normal  Institutes — 
enrollment  at  Monticello,  46,  at  Burnettsville,  144.  Average  daily 
attendance  of  children  in  the  county  schools,  2,423.  Number  of  brick 
schoolhouses,  1.     Number  of  school  children  in  1880,  4,514. 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE   COUNTY. 


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40  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

County  Commissioners. — Ira  Bacon.  Daniel  McCombs  and  Robert 
Newell,  1834;  Daniel  Dale  appointed  November,  1834,  vice  McCombs  re- 
signed; Robert  Newell,  1835 ;  James  Gay  appointed  May,  1886,  vice  Ira 
Bacon  resigned;  James  K.  Wilson,  1836;  William  W.  Mitchell,  1837; 
William  Wood,  1838;  John  Young,  1839;  James  H.  Hiett,  1840;  Ransom 
McOonnahay,  1841  ;  Allen  Barnes  appointed  November,  1841,  vice 
Hiett  resigned;  C.  D.  W.  Scott,  1842;  James  Kerr  appointed  Septem- 
ber, 1842;  Allen  Barnes,  1843;  James  Shafer,  1844;  J.  H.  Wilson,  1845; 
Solomon  McCulley,  1846;  Samuel  Smelcer,  1847  ;  James  P.  Moore, 
1848;  Jefferson  Courtney,  1849;  Solomon  McCulley  appointed  1850, 
vice  Courtney  removed  from  the  District;  James  K.  Wilson,  1851; 
Christopher  Vandeventer,  1852;  Andrew  Hannah,  1853;  J.  K.  Wilson, 
1854;  S.  K.  Timmons,  1855;  Thomas  Downey,  1856;  William  H.  King 
appointed  spring  of  1857;  George  Cullen,  1858;  Anderson  Irions,  1859; 
A.  M.  Dickinson,  1860;  George  Cullen,  1861;  James  Hays,  1862;  A. 
M.  Dickinson,  1863;  James  Renwick,  1864;  Samuel  Smelcer,  1865; 
Christopher  Hardy,  1866;  John  G.  Timmons,  1867;  Theodore  J.  Davis, 
1868  ;  James  C.  Gross,  1869;  Thomas  Downey,  1870;  John  Parrish,  1871; 
A.  M.  Dickinson,  1872;  John  Parrish,  1873;  Martin  R.  Cartmell,  1874; 
.  David  L.  Fisher,  1875;  Jacob  Pfister,  1876;  Nelson  Hornbeck,  1877; 
Jacob  Pfister,  1878;  John  T.  Barnes,  1879;  John  Q.  Beam,  1880  ;  John 
T.  Barnes,  1881;  Eli  W.  Cowger,  1882;  Alfred  C.  Tamm,  1882. 

Treasurers. — George  A.  Spencer,  1834;  Asa  Allen  appointed  May, 
1838;  Peter  Price,  1841  (bond  $2,000);  Isaac  Reynolds,  1841;  Dr. 
Randolph  Brearly,  1844;  Jonathan  Harbolt,  1845;  James  C.  Reynolds, 
1848;  R.  W.  Sill,  1850;  Jonathan  P.  Ritchie,  1852;  William  Russell, 
1854;  Michael  A.  Berkey,  1856;  John  E.  Dale,  1858;  William  E.  Samuel- 
son  appointed  July,  1861  (bond  $10,000);  Albert  Kingsbury,  1862;  Jo- 
seph Rothrock,  1862;  Granville  B.  Ward,  1866;  Joseph  Rothrock,  1868; 
Israel  Nordyke,  1872;  John  Paris,  1876;  Madison  F.  Didlake,  1880 
(bond  $100,000). 

Sheriffs.— Aaron  Hicks,  1834;  John  Wilson,  1834;  James  Parker,  1836; 
Daniel  M.  Tilton  appointed  1839,  vice  Parker,  resigned;  James  C. 
Reynolds,  1842  ;  Elisha  Warden,  1844  ;  Robert  W.  Sill,  1848  ;  Michael 
A.  Berkey,  1852  ;  Henry  C.  Kirk,  1854  ;  William  Wright,  1858  ;  Ma- 
thew  Henderson,  1860;  Milton  M.  Sill,  1864;  Mathew  Henderson,  1868; 
W.  E.  Saunderson,  1870;  Enoch  J.  Denham,  1874;  Irwin  Greer,  1874  ; 
James  Hay,  1878  ;  Joseph  W.  Stewart,  1882. 

Auditors.— yV imam  Sill,  1834;  Thomas  M.  Thompson,  1846;  J.  D. 
Cowdin,  1853;  William  Russell.  1855  (died  1856);  Joseph  D.  Cowdin, 
1856  ;  Thomas  Bushnell,  1861;  George  Uhl,  1869  ;  Henry  Yan  Voorst, 
1876. 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  41 

Recorders.— WiWiam  Sill,  1834  ;  T.  M.  Thompson,  1846  ;  Hugh  B. 
Logan,  1856 ;  John  S.  Hurtt,  1862  ;  William  W.  McCulloch,  1866 ; 
Rufus  L.  Harvey,  1874. 

Clerks.— WiWhm  Sill,  1834  ;  Ransom  McConnahay,  1848  ;  Orlando 
McCoiinahay,  1858;  Daniel  D.  Dale,  1800;  G.  W.  Lawrence,  1874; 
Samuel  P.  Cowger,  1878. 

Coro7iers. — John  Wilson,  1834  ;  Thomas  R.  Dawson,  1836  ;  Peter 
Price,  1837  ;  Jonathan  Harbolt,  1840  ;  George  Snyder,  1844  ;  George  R. 
Bartley,  1846;  Joseph  Day,  1848 ;  Joseph  Phillips,  1850;  Richard 
Worthington,  1852  ;  William  Parcels,  1858  ;  Charles  Kahler,  1862  ;  Zach- 
ariah  Van  Buskirk,  1865 ;  William  P.  Montgomery,  1867  ;  R.  M. 
Delzell,  1870  ;  L.  W.  Henry,  1874  ;  John  Yopst,  1876  ;  R.  J.  Clark, 
1880. 

Surveyors.— Asdi  AWexi,  1838  ;  Joshua  Lindsey,  1842  ;  J.  Odell,  1850  ; 
J.  D.  Cowden,  1854;  William  G.  Hicks,  1855  ;  Thomas  Kennedy,  1856 ; 
W.  E.  Saunderson,  1857  ;  Alfred  R.  Orton,  1858  ;  Milton  M.  Sill,  1859  ; 
Nathaniel  Shadbolt,  1861 ;  David  Mahoney,  1863 ;  John  Kious,  1865 ; 
Edgar  P.  Henry,  1870;  Charles  Archer,  1874  ;  F.  J.  Edwards,  1876  ; 
Thomas  M.  Foltz,  1878  ;  A.  R.  Orton,  1880. 

School  Examiners. — James  Kerr,  1836 ;  N".  Bunnell,  1838  ;  Jonathan 
Harbolt,  1839;  Charles  W.  Kendall,  1845;  James  Kerr,  1846;  diaries 
Dodge,  1848  ;  Jonathan  Harbolt,  1849;  George  D.  Miller,  1856;  Robert 
Irwin,  1856;  Joseph  Baldwin,  1858:  E.  R.  Herman,  1860;  J.  T.  Rich- 
ardson, 1861 ;  George  Bowman,  1861 ;  William  P.  Koutz,  1862  ;  William 
Hanawalt,  1864;  George  Bowman,  1865;  William  Irelan,  1865;  S.  B. 
Seawright,  1868;  D.  E.  P.  Henry,  1868;  Rev.  Gilbert  Small,  1870  ; 
George  Bowman,  first  Superintendent,  1873;  William  Irelan,  1875; 
George  Bowman,  1877;  William  Guthrie,  1882. 

Assessors. — Cornelius  Clark,  1885  ;  Malachi  Gray,  1835  ;  R.  A. 
Spencer,  1836  ;  Isaac  N.  Parkes,  1837  ;  Asa  Allen,  1838  ;  Malachi 
Gray,  1839 ;  Asa  Allen,  1840  ;  W.  W.  Mitchell,  1840  ;  Abraham  Snea- 
then,  1845  ;  Joseph  Rothrock,  1846  ;  William  Orr,  1847  ;  David  McCon- 
nahay, 1849  ;  Zachariah  Van  Buskirk,  1850-51. 

County  Agents. — John  Barr,  1834;  William  M.  Kenton,  1839  ;  Samuel 
Rifenberrick,  1841  ;  Jacob  Beck,  1841 ;  Samuel   Rifenberrick,    1842-53. 

Three  Per  cent.  Commissioners. — Zebulon  Sheets,  1834  ;  Mahlon  Fra- 
zee,  1838  ;  David  Berkey,  1839 ;  Mahlon  Frazee,  1841 ;  Zebulon  Sheets, 
1843-53. 

Seminary  Trustees. — Jonathan  Harbolt,  1834-54. 

Circuit  Judges. — John  R.  Porter,  1834 ;  Isaac  Naylor,  1888  ;  John 
Wright,  1842  ;  Horace  P.  Beddle,  1846  ;  John  U.  Pettit,  1852  ;  Charles 
H.  Test,  1858  ;  Bernard  B.  Dailey,  1875  ;  John  H.  Gould,  1876. 


42  HISTOllY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

Associate  Judges. — James  Barnes  and  Thomas  Wilson,  1834  ;  Thomas 
McCormick,  1841 ;  James  Barnes,  1841. 

Probate  Judges. — Robert  Newell,  1834  (died  in  office) ;  Aaron  Hicks, 
1846.  (In  1853  probate  matters  were  transferred  to  the  Common  Pleas 
Court). 

Common  Pleas  Judges. — Samuel  Huff,  1853  ;  Gustavus  Wood,  1854; 
David  P.  Vinson,  1862  ;  Alfred  Reed,  1867 ;  B.  F.  Schermerhorn,  1869. 
(In  1873  the  court  was  merged  into  the  Circuit  Court.) 

Politics. — For  the  first  few  years  after  the  county  was  organized,  poli- 
tics was  in  more  or  less  of  a  chaotic  state.  Families  were  so  isolated 
and  usually  in  such  poor  circumstances,  that  far  weightier  matters  than 
the  selection  of  political  rulers  engrossed  in  a  great  measure  individual 
attention,  and  prevented  any  regularity  of  attendance  at  the  polls.  It 
was  also  soon  found  that  the  two  principal  parties  of  that  day  were  so 
nearly  equal,  numerically,  that  any  speculation  ;\s  to  the  results  of  an 
election  was  like  guessing  at  the  weather  of  the  following  week.  Some- 
times one  party  triumphed  and  sometimes  the  other.  Then  again  our 
fathers  (peace  to  their  ashes!)  were  inveterate '  "scratchers,"  voting 
almost  invariably  at  local  elections  for  the  man,  and  not  for  the  party. 
It  has  been  learned,  though  all  the  early  election  returns  could  not  be 
found,  that  the  county  soon  assumed  a  decided  Democratic  tendency. 
As  will  be  seen  from  the  table  at  the  close  of  this  chapter,  the  county, 
at  the  Presidential  election  in  1836,  went  Whig  by  a  majority  of  three. 
But  both  before  and  after  this  election.  Democratic  majorities  much 
greater  than  three  were  frequent.  It  was  not  long  ere  the  question  of 
slavery  began  to  enter  the  political  contests  in  the  county,  and  soon  there 
was  developed  a  small  band  of  Abolitionists,  too  few  in  numbers  to 
render  it  advisable  to  attempt  any  organized  action.  The  proceedings 
in  Congress,  and  the  attitudes  of  the  north  and  south,  were  not  lost  to  the 
earnest  hearts  which  felt  the  pressure  of  the  national  disgrace.  As  the 
years  passed  and  the  full  magnitude  of  the  evil  became  wretchedly  ap- 
parent, the  political  fires  began  to  flame  more  fiercely,  and  the  bitter 
mutterings  of  wrath  began  to  engender  protracted  individual  animosities. 
Through  the  decade  of  the  '40s,  especially  near  its  close,  keen  and  uni- 
versal interest  was  manifested  in  the  results  of  the  struggle  over  the  exten- 
sion of  slave  territory.  This  interest  led  to  very  heavy  returns  at  all  the 
elections.  Still  the  Democratic  majority  continued  to  increase.  The 
repeal  of  the  Missouri  compromise,  however,  came  near  losing  the  county 
to  the  Democracy,  a  result  that  would  surely  have  happened  had  it  not 
been  for  the  influence  of  the  Democratic  county  newspaper,  which  scat- 
tered over  the  county  its  pen  pictures  of  the  disgrace  of  "  nigger  equality." 
The  Republican  party  sprang  into   life,  securing  its  members  from  the 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 


43 


younger,  more  progressive  and  better  elements  of  both  old  parties,  and 
began  in  its  youth,  Theseus  like,  with  such  strength  as  to  compel  the 
Democracy  to  put  forth  its  utmost  efforts,  or  submit  to  defeat.  At  last, 
in  1860,  when  the  "  Irrepressible  Conflict"  could  no  longer  be  avoided, 
the  county  went  Republican  by  a  fair  majority, 'and  continued  to  do  so 
until  1882,  when  the  Democracy  again  secured  the  ascendency.  The 
hard  times  growing  out  of  the  war  gave  birth  to  the  Greenback  party, 
which  continues  to  thrive,  its  present  county  strength  being  about  150. 
Thus  is  seen  a  panoramic  view  of  the  politics  of  White  County  since  its 
organization. 

The  following  tables,  which  well  illustrate  the  political  aspect  of  the 
county,  were  obtained  after  much  trouble : 


November.  1836. 


November.  1840. 


TOWNSHIPS. 

DEMOCRAT. 

Van  Buren 

and 

Johnson. 

WHIG. 

Harrison 

and 
Granger. 

TOWNSHIPS. 

DEMOCRAT. 

Van  Buren 

and 

Johnson. 

WHIG. 

Harrison 
and 

Tyler. 

53 
26 
12 

7 
8 

106 

66 
2 
1 

12 

38 

12 

48 

Jackson 

Monon 

Big  Creek 

Prairie 

Total 

109 

The  remainder  of  the  vote  of  1 840  could  not  be  found ;  neither  could 
the  vote  of  1844. 


November,  1848. 


November,   1852. 


TOWNSHIPS. 


Prairie. . . . 
Big  Creek. 

Union 

Liberty  . . . 
Monon .... 
Jackson . . . 
Princeton  . 
West  Point 
Cass 

Total  . . 


» 

4  0 

66 

60 

11 

15 

42 

3 

87 

66 

13 

42 

20 

5 

34 

16 

0 

39 

62 

2 

11 

22 

8 

5 

13 

5 

1 

306 

268 

34      1 

TOWNSHIPS. 


Union 

Big  Creek. 
Prairie. . . . 
West  Point 
Princeton  . 
Monon . ... 
Liberty  . , . 

Cass 

Jackson. . . 

Total  .  . 


134 
46 
91 
20 
24 
67 
50 
29 
76 

"636 


146 
04 

106 
12 
29 
42 
36 
13 


610 


44 


HISTORY    OF   WHITE   COUNTY. 


November,  1856. 


November,  1860. 


TOWNSHIPS. 


'^-■^  w^a-a  1 1  TOWNSHIPS. 


]S  OS 

ft  SPq     S 
^        P 


Union 

Big  Creek . . 

Prairie 

West  Point. 
Princeton  . 
Monon  ... 
Liberty  . . . . 


148        124 


171 
22 
39 
82 
62 
45 


Jackson 

Honey  Creek 


746 


64 

j! 

164 

1 

32 

3       1 

66 

4 

80 

7 

69 

1 

29 

42 

22 

33 

1 

703 

42 

jUnion 

JBig  Creek... . 

Prairie 

West  Point. .  . 

Princeton 

Monon 

Liberty 

Cass 

Jackson 

Honey  Creek 
Round  Grove , 


Total. 


•i_. 

6 

dgi 

i-M 

5|J 

^l-o^ 

O^oS^ 

i^     « 

H*"*       1^ 

%^V 

K 

0 

an 

L    172 

168 

6 

85 

61 

8 

188 

157 

37 

42 

37 

3 

93 

45 

1 

99 

65 

5 

88 

56 

32 

51 

123 

121 

2 

49 

39 

5 

22 

11 

993 

811 

67 

November,  1864. 


November,  1868. 


TOWNSHIPS. 

REPUBLICAN. 

Lincoln 

and 
Johnson. 

democratic 
McClellan 

and 
Pendleton. 

TOWNSHIPS. 

REPUBLICAN. 

Grant 

and 

Colfax. 

DEMOCRATIC 

Seymour 
and 
Blair, 

146 
68 

178 
61 

104 
81 
83 
33 

109 
50 
26 

177 

57 

176 

30 

37 

89 

77 

38 

159 

53 

6 

187 
84 

229 
61 

114 

111 
92 
88 

155 
62 
40 

230 

Big  Creek 

Prairie. 

Big  Creek  

Prairie 

63 
230 

AVest  Point 

Princeton 

West  Point 

Princeton 

44 

62 

86 

Liberty 

Liberty 

75 

Cass. 

Cass.      . .      .      . 

52 

165 

Honey  Creek 

Round  Grove 

Honey  Creek 

Round  Grove 

Total 

75 
29 

Total 

939 

898 

1173 

1101 

November,  1872.. 

November,  1876 

TOWN-HIPS 

N 

83 
201 

78 
161 
113 
91 
36 
167 
49 
52 

iiij 

3 

188 
48 

240 
45 
59 
75 
70 
32 

113 
90 
42 

d 

TOWNSHIPS. 

PI 

DEMOCRATIC 

Tllden 

and 

Hendricks. 

55 

£ocs5 

Union 

1 

i 
'e 

2 

"2 
1 

Union . 

255 

96 

228 

102 

216 

115 

113 

55 

167 

86 

69 

270 

78 

262 

78 

89 

130 

101 

53 

185 

119 

85 

3 

Big  Creek  

iBig  Creek 

5 

9 

West  Point 

West  Point 

6 

Princeton 

Monon. . 

Princeton 

Monon   .... 

9 
4 

Liberty 

Liberty 

Cass    

2 

Cass. 

5 

Honey  Creek 

Round  Grove 

Honey  Creek. 

Round  Grove 

Total 

2 

Total 

1200 

1003 

13 

1502 

1460 

60 

;?rS 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE   COUNTY. 


November, 

1880. 

TOWNSHIPS. 

REPUBOCAN. 

Gariield 

and 
Arthur. 

DEMOCRATIC. 

Hancock 

and 
English. 

INDEPENDENT. 

Weaver 

and 

Chambers. 

Union . 

236 

99 

259 

117 

233 

138 

110 

52 

186 

80 

100 

305 

102 

250 

79 

87 

130 

125 

60 

215 

121 

117 

14 

Big  Creek 

5 

Prairie        .... 

11 

West  Point.           

26 

Princeton. . 

27 

Liberty 

22 

Cass      . .                             ... 

4 

Jackson  

8 
5 

2 

Total 

1610 

1591 

124 

CHAPTER     II. 


BY      WESTON      A.      QOODSPEED. 

The  County  Militia — Soldiers  of  1812 — The  Campaign  of  1846-7 
— The  Election  of  1860 — The  Fall  of  Fort  Sumter — Treason 
AT  Home — The  First  Volunteers — Captain  Reed's  Company — 
War  Meetings— Sanitary  Efforts — Continued  Enlistment — 
Patriotism — Summary  of  Important  Events — Additional  Com- 
panies— The  Draft — Number  of  Men  Furnished — Bounty  and 
Relief — End  of  the  War — Lincoln's  Death — Sketches  of 
Regiments — The  Roll  of  Honor — Interesting  Notes. 


THE  old  militia  system  which  had  prevailed  from  the  organ- 
ization of  White  County  until  the  Rebellion  of  1861-5,  and  which 
had  done  such  excellent  service  during  all  the  Indian  border  wars  years 
before  the  county  had  any  existence,  was  permitted  to  run  down  and 
almost  die  out,  owing  to  the  long  continued  peace.  It  is  stated  that  a 
militia  company  was  organized  at  Monticello  and  vicinity  about  the  year 
1840,  and  that  for  a  few  years  annual  musters  were  enjoyed,  but  no 
definite  information  on  the  subject  has  been  obtained.  About  the  year 
1852,  the  Legislature  enacted  that  the  militia  of  each  Judicial  District 
should  be  thoroughly  organized,  and  in  response  to  this,  one  company 
was  formed  at  the  county  seat.  In  December,  1856,  the  County  Com- 
missioners through  their  agent,  J.  D.  Cowden,  Auditor  of  White  County, 


48  HISTORY    OF    WHITE   COUNTY. 

requested  Governor  Wright  to  send  by  rail  to  Reynolds  Station  the 
quota  of  arms  due  the  county  under  the  existing  law.  The  guns  were 
accordingly  received  and  distributed  to  the  members  of  the  "  White 
County  Guards."  The  company  was  required  to  execute  a  bond  in  the 
sum  of  $500  that  the  arms  would  receive  proper  care,  and  be  returned  to 
the  Auditor  under  specified  conditions.  After  this  for  some  time  the 
musters  were  greatly  enjoyed.  These  arms  were  in  the  county  when 
the  Rebellion  broke  out,  but  were  then  sent  to  Indianapolis  by  order  of 
the  Governor,  under  the  protests  of  the  citizens  of  the  county,  as  will  be' 
learned  farther  along.  No  other  organization  of  the  militia  was  effected 
until  1881,  when  the  Independent  Artillery  Company  was  organized  at 
Monticello  with  Henry  Van  Voorst,  Captain  ;  Isaac  Price,  First  Lieu- 
tenant ;  E.  P.  Roberts,  Second  Lieutenant.  Two  pieces  of  ordnance 
were  obtained  from  the  east  at  a  cost  of  $50,  both  being  unmounted. 

War  of  1812. — Quite  a  number  of  the  early  settlers  were  no  doubt  ex- 
soldiers  of  the  war  of  1812-15,  and  it  is  possible  that  a  few  participated 
in  the  earlier  struggle  for  independence.  The  writer  has  learned  the 
name  of  one  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812,  who  became  a  prominent  citizen 
of  White  County  and  was  one  of  the  first  Board  of  Commissioners.  The 
following  explains  about  all  that  is  known  of  his  military  services. 

Ira  Bacon,  a  private  in  Captain  Van  Meter's  company  of  Ohio  Militia  in  the  service  of 
the  United  States,  has  faithfully  performed  a  six  months'  tour  of  duty,  and  is  hereby 
honorably  discharged  from  the  service  at  Fort  Meigs  this  22d  day  of  February,  1815. 
Jacob  Linn,  John  Russell, 

Sergeant,  Major  Ohio  Militia,  Commanding  Ft.  Meigs. 

The  Mexican  War. — Three  men  only  went  from  White  County  to 
serve  the  Government  in  the  war  with  Mexico.  These  men  were  William 
F.  Ford,  LT.  H.  Steele,  and  Beveridge  McCormick,  all  three  going  from 
Jackson  Township,  and  joining  Captain  Tipton's  Company  E  of  the 
United  Siates  Regiment  of  Mounted  Rifles,  rendezvoused  at  Logansport. 
The  boys  enlisted  on  the  6th  of  June,  1846,  for  a  term  of  five  years,  and 
were  first  ordered  to  Cincinnati,  thence  to  St.  Louis,  where  they  were 
mounted  and  fully  equipped.  Soon  afterward  they  moved  to  New 
Orleans,  and  then,  in  November  or  December,  1846,  took  shipping  for 
Point  Isabel,  where  they  arrived  the  24th  of  December.  After  a  short 
time  spent  along  the  Rio  Grande  River,  the  regiment  was  shipped  to  Vera 
Cruz,  losing  on  the  way  all  their  horses  in  a  heavy  storm  on  the  Gulf. 
The  regiment  participated  in  the  bombardment  of  Vera  Cruz  in  March, 
1847.  After  the  capitulation  on  the  27th,  the  march  along  the  great 
National  road  toward  the  Mexican  capital  was  begun.  Cerro  Gordo  was 
reached  and  assaulted,  but  here    the   fortune  of  war   turned    against  the 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  49 

White  County  boys.  In  the  first  day's  fight  William  F.  Ford  received  a 
severe  saber  cut  on  the  left  thigh  just  above  the  knee,  but  the  wound  did 
not  incapacitate  him  from  participation  in  the  second  day's  fight.  On 
this  day,  however,  while  in  the  hottest  of  the  fight,  his  right  leg  was 
taken  off"  just  above  the  ankle  by  a  cannon  ball,  lie  also  received  a 
lance  thrust  through  one  wrist  and  a  pistol  ball  through  the  other,  be- 
sides a  bayonet  thrust  under  the  chin,  the  point  coming  out  at  his  mouth, 
knocking  out  several  teeth  on  his  lower  jaw  and  shattering  the  bone. 
Notwithstanding  all  this  he  is  yet  living  at  Monticello,  in  the  enjoyment 
of  reasonable  health.  He  wears  a  fine  bronze  badge  cast  from  some  old 
cannon.  At  the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo,  the  Mexican  commander.  Gen. 
Santa  Anna,  was  compelled  to  fly  so  hastily  that  he  left  behind  his 
wooden  leg,  besides  many  other  valuable  personal  effects.  Mr.  Ford, 
while  lying  wounded  and  almost  helpless,  managed  to  purloin  an  epau- 
lette belonging  to  the  uniform  of  Santa  Anna,  a  portion  of  which  he  yet  has 
and  values  very  highly.  He  draws  a  pension  of  $18  per  month.  McCor- 
mick  lost  his  left  arm  at  Oerro  Gordo  by  a  ball  which  ranged  across  his 
breast  from  right  to  left.  The  wound  was  so  near  the  shoulder  that  it  was 
found  necessary  to  remove  the  humerus  from  its  socket.  The  poor  fellow 
was  unequal  to  the  emergency,  and  soon  died  from  the  eff'ects  of  the  wound. 
Steele  was  taken  sick  at  or  near  Chepultepec,  and  finally  died  of  a  severe 
attack  of  diarrhoea.  x\mong  the  ex-soldiers  of  the  Mexican  War,  who  have 
lived  in  the  county,  are  the  following  :  Roy  D.  Davidson,  who  served  in  a 
Kentucky  regiment,  and  was  in  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista  ;  Michael  Austin, 
of  an  Ohio  regiment,  who  was  also  at  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista;  Thomas 
Cooper,  who  served  in  the  same  regiment  as  Mr.  Ford ;  Mr.  Conkling,  a 
cousin  of  Senator  Conkling's,  who  served  in  the  First  Indiana  Regiment; 
John  Wright,  who  fought  at  Buena  Vista  in  a  Kentucky  regiment ;  Mr. 
Penny,  who  was  also  in  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista  ;  Andrew  Robinson,  also 
in  the  First  Indiana  and  at  Buena  Vista. 

Afterthe  war  with  Mexico,  nothing  occurred  to  disturb  the  peaceful  pur- 
suits of  the  citizens.  The  political  campaigns  were  bitterly  fought,  and 
many  began  to  intimate  that  the  country  was  on  the  brink  of  dissolution  or 
of  a  great  civil  war.  The  Presidential  campaign  of  1856  was  conducted 
with  a  spirit  unknown  before  in  the  history  of  the  county.  It  was  realized 
that  a  grave  responsibility  rested  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  President,  and 
that  to  idly  select  men  for  that  high  position  might  involve  the  country  in 
disaster,  from  which  it  would  never  emerge.  Events  were  anxiously 
awaited. 

The  Campaign  of  1860. — The  Presidential  campaign  in  White  County 
during  the  autumn  of  1860  was  of  the  most  exciting  character.  Almost 
4 


50  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

every  township  had  its  company,  or  companies,  of  "  Wide  Awakes  ";  and 
scarcely  a  night  passed  without  public  speaking  and  noisy  and  enthusias- 
tic demonstration.  The  clubs  of  Democracy  uniformed  themselves  with 
hickory  suits,  erected  flag  poles,  and  flung  the  names  of  Douglas  and 
Johnson  to  the  breeze.  Torch-light  processions  and  vociferous  cheering 
disturbed  the  drowsy  air  of  night.  The  emblems  of  the  Republican  clubs 
were  "  v'ails  "  or  "  mauls  and  wedges,"  and  the  name  of  "  Honest  Old 
Abe  "  was  shouted  with  a  power  that  will  carry  it  echoing  dcwn  the 
coming  centuries.  When  the  returns  were  all  in,  and  Lincoln's  name 
was  on  every  tongue,  and  when  the  Southern  States  one  after  another 
began  to  enact  ordinances  of  secession,  and  even  the  air  seemed 
freighted  with  treason,  all  wiser  heads  saw  that  the  conflict  had  come. 
The  slavery  question  must  be  settled  either  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
North  or  the  South  ;  no  evasion  would  answer.  The  Spectator  and  the 
Democrat  began  a  bitter  discussion  of  the  questions  of  slavery,  State 
rights,  secession,  etc.  The  Spectator  said,  in  answer  to  a  question  from 
its  rival : 

The  Democrat  wants  to  know  if  we  think  a  State  can  peaceably  secede.  Yes,  with  the 
consent  of  a  majority  of  all  the  ocher  parties  interested.  This  should  be  given  to  South 
Carolina.  The  reasons  by  which  we  arrive  at  such  conclusion  are  these :  Whenever  our 
form  of  government  becomes  burdensome  to  any  member  of  the  Confederacy,  failing  to 
protect  and  perpetuate  it  in  its  rights  of  person  and  property,  such  State  can  no  longer 
respect  the  association,  being  in  fact  already  alienated  by  a  peculiar  and  inherently  right- 
ful, though  not  moral,  view  ;  and  after  she  has  asked,  as  in  the  case  of  South  Carolina,  to 
dissolve  the  company  and  mutually  withdraw  from  the  partnership,  our  interpretation  of 
the  meaning  and  intent  of  the  Constitution  does  not  lead  us  to  conclude  that  her  appeals 
should  be  regarded  with  insult,  and  the  blessings  of  liberty /o?-ce«^  upon  unwilling  subjects 
by  coercion  at  the  cos  t  of  war,  bloodshed  and  treason. 

Many  prominent  Republicans  throughout  the  county  argued  in  a  simi- 
lar strain.  The  country  had  been  educated  to  believe  that  the  Govern- 
ment Avas  a  mere  compact,  and  that  any  State  could  leave  the  Union 
when  the  terms  of  the  compact  were  violated,  or  even  at  will ;  but  the 
education  was  the  result  of  southern  artifice,  the  wily  "  fire-eaters  "  of  the 
preceding  half  century  neglecting  no  care  or  avoiding  no  issue  that  would 
instill  the  poison  of  the  hateful  heresy  into  the  public  heart  both  North 
and  South.  Men  did  not  fully  know  their  own  minds.  A  revolution  in 
thought  on  the  subject  of  State  rights,  secession,  slavery,  etc.,  was  ensu- 
ing, and  the  public  mind  was  buffeted  around  by  every  breeze  of  senti- 
ment or  fancy  or  even  folly.  Here  and  there  arose  some  clear  intellect, 
head  and  shoulders  above  its  fellows,  and  looked  down  with  the  impartial 
eye  of  a  philosopher  upon  the  true  and  ominous  state  of  the  country. 
To  such  men  the  hearts  of  all  turned  anxiously  for  relief.     When   Mr. 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  51 

Lincoln  took  the  reins  of  government,  speedy  relief  from  public  gloom  and 
embarrassment  was  expected;  but  as  time  slipped  away,  and  effective 
action  was  masked  by  broad  generalizations,  and  the  course  of  the  Ad- 
ministration was  clouded  with  apparent  doubt  and  hesitancy,  many  of  the 
best  Union  men  lost  heart.  The  friends  of  disunion  looked  upon  the 
hesitancy  as  a  practical  acknowledgment  that  the  Government  could  see 
no  way  under  the  Constitution  of  a  settlement  of  existing  differences. 
But  when  the  blow  at  last  fell  upon  Fort  Sumter,  and  all  pacific  over- 
tures from  the  Administration  even  to  an  avowal  that  no  established  insti- 
tution of  the  South  should  be  interfered  with,  were  haughtily  rejected, 
the  mask  of  peace  was  thrown  aside,  and  the  call  to  arms  sent  a  thrill  of 
joy  and  hope  to  thousands  of  loyal  hearts.  In  view  of  the  darkness 
which  enveloped  the  country  at  subsequent  stages  of  the  war,  when  it 
seemed  certain  that  masses  in  the  North  would  compel  a  cessation  of  hostil- 
ities and  permit  the  Southern  States  to  go  out  of  the  Union,  the  tran- 
scendent wisdom  of  Mr.  Lincoln  in  throwing  upon  the  South  the  responsi- 
bility of  commencing  the  rebellion,  even  in  the  face  of  the  most  abun- 
dant promises,  undoubtedly  saved  the  country  from  hopeless  disruption. 

Opening  Scenes. — In  the  issue  of  the  Spectator  of    April  19,  1861, 
was  published  the  following  letter : 

Editor  Spectator: — Let  me  call  your  attention  to  the  necessity  of  organizing  in 
▼arious  parts  of  this  county  eificient  committees  to  attend  to  those  persons  who  openly 
declare  themselves  against  the  Government. 

Yours,  etc., 


The  Spectator  said  : 

The  above  letter  was  received  through  the  postoffice  several  days  ago.  It  is  from  a 
responsible  and  influential  farmer  of  this  county  ;  and  while  we  would  not  wish  to  encour- 
age a  spirit  of  intolerance  in  politics  or  anything  else,  in  view  of  our  national  troubles, 
we  think  the  majority  of  law-abiding  citizens  regard  expressions  like  the  above  as  purely 
loyal,  and  in  many  cases  absolutely  necessary  to  be  complied  with.  *  *  *  *  A  few 
gentlemen  about  this  town  and  throughout  the  county  may  find  it  wholesome  to  heed  the 
caution  in  Judge  Test's  charges  [referring  to  the  punishment  for  treason]  and  our  cor- 
respondent's letter.  War  has  been  levied  against  the  Government,  and  "  giving  aid  and 
comfort  to  its  enemies  "  consists  in  more  than  enlistinsr  and  fighting  under  the  rattle- 
snake banner.  Revolutionary  Tories  were  roughly  dealt  with  for  no  less  crime  than 
they  are  guilty  of  every  day. 

The  Call  to  Arms. — In  the  same  issue  of  the  paper  a  call  for  volun- 
teers was  advertised  by  W.  M.  McCarty,  of  Shelbyville.  Also  the  call 
3f  President  Lincoln  for  75,000  State  militia  to  put  down  tlie  rebellion. 
There  also  appeared  in  the  same  issue  the  following  : 

About  one  hundred  men,  residents  of  this  county,  have  enlisted    in  tlicir   country's 


52  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

defense,  some  of  whom  joined  Col.  R.  H.  Milroy's  company  from  Rensselaer.  Of  these  J. 
G.  Staley,  Watson  Brown,  Martin  Cochell,  Francis  Sweet,  Lewis  Murray,  Edward  NefiF, 
James  Stevenson  and  brother,  went  from  this  place.  Twenty-five  were  from  Bradford, 
and  twenty  from  Reynolds.     Ihe  fervent  prayers  of  our  citizens  go  with  them. 

Thus  it  was  that  within  four  days  after  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter,  and 
within  two  days  after  the  call  of  the  President  for  75,000  volunteers,  the 
county  of  White  responded  with  one  hundred  resolute  men.  This  excel- 
lent beginning  was  but  a  specimen  of  the  responses  with  which  White 
County  honored,  through  all  the  succeeding  years  of  war,  the  calls  of  the 
Government  for  troops.     The  Spectator  of  April  26th,  said : 

PATRIOTISM    IN    MONTICELLO. 

While  the  whole  country  is  in  a  blaze  of  righteous  indignation  at  the  giant  proportions 
of  treason,  Monticello  is  not  fnv  behind  her  sister  towns  in  expressing  an  emphatic  dis- 
approbation of  secession  madness.  Already  a  respectable  deputation  of  her  inhabitants 
has  enlisted  for  battle,  and  many  more  are  ready  to  march  when  their  services  are 
demanded.  Pursuant  to  the  call  issued  by  Thomas  Bushnell,  Auditor  of  this  County,  for 
the  organization  of  military  companies  to  retain  the  United  States  arms  in  our  midst,  and 
serve  as  home  or  reserve  guards,  a  number  of  our  citizens  met  at  the  court-house  last 
Tuesday.  Ransom  McConahay  was  chosen  President,  and  John  J.  Barnes,  Secretary  of 
the  meeting.  Before  taking  his  seat,  Mr.  McConahay  made  a  telling  Union  speech, 
which  v/as  loudly  applauded,  and  followed  by  others  in  like  lofty  strains — all  resolving 
to  forget  political  differences  and  fight  for  common  interests,  to  sink  the  partisan  in  the 
patriot,  and  not  inquire  why  the  present  war  was  brought  about,  but  how  to  best  protect 
our  homes,  put  down  treason,  and  honorably  sustain  our  once  glorious  Union.  After 
these  mutual  and  hearty  pledges  had  been  given  on  all  hands,  a  committee  consisting  of 
Thomas  Bushnell  and  Lucius  Pierce  was  delegated  to  report  an  article  or  oath  to  be 
signed  by  all  who  wished  to  form  themselves  into  a  reserve  guard,  and  drill  preparatory 
toany  call  the  emergency  of  public  safety  may  render  necessary.  This  being  submitted 
and  adopted,  some  thirty  men,  old  and  young,  subscribed  their  names  to  it  before  the  meet- 
ing adjourned.  John  C.  Brown  and  Daniel  D.  Dale  were  appointed  another  committee  to 
wait  on  our  citizens  and  solicit  signers  to  said  document.  The  meeting  then  adjourned  to 
assemble  again  that  night,  when  there  was  a  much  better  turn-out.  Peter  S.  Rader  was 
called  to  the  chair,  and  Oliver  S.  Dale  made  Secretary.  At  this  meeting  several  patriotic 
speeches  were  offered,  and  after  considerable  debate  as  to  the  propriety  of  organizing  for 
immediate  action  and  proffering  the  services  of  a  picked  company  to  the  Governor,  or  as 
had  been  determined  at  the  first  meeting,  the  latter  course  was  agreed  to.  The  company 
then  adjourned  till  the  next  (Wednesday)  evening,  when  the  organization  was  perfected 
by  the  adoption  of  a  constitution  and  the  election  of  the  following  officers  :  Alfred  Reed, 
Captain;  J.  C.  Brown,  First  Lieutenant;  p.  D.  Dale,  Second  Lieutenant.  Last  night  the 
company  had  another  meeting  and  adopted  by-laws  for  their  government.  We  under- 
stand they  are  to  be  regularly  uniformed  and  commence  drilling  in  a  few  days.  It  is  very 
desirable  this  organization,  and  as  many  more  as  can  be  set  on  foot,  should  be  kept 
un.  Such  companies  are  greatly  nee  led  to  fit  our  men  for  service,  and  since  the  quota  of 
volunteers  called  for  by  the  President  has  been  more  than  complied  with,  they  pre- 
sent the  only  capacity  left  us  through  which  to  act  wisely  as  soldiers  for  the  defense 
of  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  Let  all  who  can  possibly  join,  or  help  those  who  do  patron- 
ize it. 

The  First  Sacrifice. — It  was  stated   in  this  issue  that,  while  Captain 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUXTY.  53 

Milroy's  company  was  en  route  for  Indianapolis,  a  young  man  named 
John  Brown,  a  grandson  of  Gen.  Simon  Kenton,  and  a  resident  of  White 
County,  who  had  been  one  of  the  very  first  to  enlist,  was  accidentally 
killed  by  the  cars  at  Clark's  Hill.  The  corpse  was  brought  back  and 
buried  near  Miller  Kenton's  residence,  three  miles  west  of  Monticello. 
This  was  the  first  sacrifice  offered  by  the  county  for  the  suppression  of  the 
slave-holders'  rebellion.  In  this  issue  were  also  interesting  letters  from 
two  of  the  White  County  boys,  who  signed  themselves  "Jeems"  and  "W. 
S."  They  stated  that  all  the  boys  from  this  county  could  not  stay  in  Cap- 
tain Milroy's  Company,  which  was  full  to  overflowing,  and  that  all  the 
Monticello  boys  had  been  transferred  to  the  company  of  Captain  Charles 
Smith.  The  boys  were  reported  in  excellent  spirits,  their  bill  of  fare 
being  bread,  meat,  potatoes,  and  beans.  This  issue  of  the  paper  (April 
26th)  contained  the  following  : 

UNION    MEETING    AT    NORWAY. 

At  a  Union  meeting,  held  at  the  school-house  in  Norway,  April  24,  1861,  R,  L.  Harvey 
was  called  to  the  chair,  and  .Tames  A.  McConahay  elected  Secretary.  R.  McConahay,  F, 
G.  Kendall,  and  William  Orr  were  appointed  a  committee  to  draft,  resolutions  expressive 
of  the  sentiments  of  the  meeting.  A  series  often  resolutions  was  adopted,  two  of  them 
being  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That  we,  the  citizens  of  Norway,  do  most  heartily  respond  to  the  call  of  the 
President  for  the  purpose  above  specified,  and  no  other  (for  enforcing  the  laws,  not  for 
conquest  or  invasion — Ed.);  and  we  pledge  him  our  support  and  countenance  in  the  ex- 
ecution of  all  his  constitutional  duties. 

Resolved,  Thar,  as  the  patriotic  ladies  of  our  village  have  thi<  day  in  onr  presence 
hoisted  the  flag  of  our  common  country,  we  hei'eby  pledge  to  them  our  lives,  our  fortunes 
and  our  sacred  honor,  that  no  foeman's  hand  shall  drag  it  down  if  in  our  power  to 
prevent  him. 

Short  and  patriotic  speeches  were  delivered  by  F.  G.  Kendall,  Dr.  R.  Spencer,  R.  Mc- 
Conahay, A.  Dike,  Aaron  Fleming,  VV.  H.  Parcels  and  .James  Graham.  The  meeting 
(hen  adjourned  to  meet  on  the  4th  of  May,  at  early  candle  lighting,  for  the  purpose  of 
organizing  a  military  company.     All  are  invited  to  attend. 

R.  L.   Harvey,  P/esident. 

James  A.   McConahay,  Secretary. 

The  citizens  of  Norway  and  vicinity  had  erected  a  huge  ash  polo,  and 
a  fine  banner  which  had  been  made  by  the  ladies  was  run  up  amid  a  storm 
of  cheers  from  the  assembled  crowd.  Afterward  eloquent  speeches  were 
delivered  by  prominent  citizens  present.  Much  loyalty  was  manifested 
at  Norway.  James  H.  Douglass  had  three  sons  who  enlisted  at  the  first 
call  to  arms.  Other  men  who  went  out  in  the  three  months'  service,  in 
addition  to  those  already  named,  Avcre  Abram  Wickersham,  John  Kellen- 
barger,  Mr.  Snyder,  John  Arick  and  James  Hess. 

In  the  issue  of  the  Spectator.,  May  3d,  it  was  stated  that  the  company 
formed  at  Monticello  (Monticello   Rifles)  held  a   meeting,  and    voted    to 


54  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

offer  its  services  to  the  State.  This  was  done,  and  the  company  continued 
vigorously  drilling,  to  be  in  readiness  when  called  out.  A  large  Union 
meeting  was  held  at  Hanna  Station  on  the  25th  of  April.  The  principal 
speaker  was  Thomas  Callahan,  a  "Douglas  Democrat,"  who  delivered  a 
very  long,  eloquent  address,  reviewing  the  political  situation,  and  urging 
upon  all,  wi4;hout  regard  to  party  lines  or  prejudices,  the  necessity  of  sup- 
porting the  administration  of  Mr.  Lincoln.  At  the  conclusion  of  his 
speech  three  rousing  cheers  were  given  for  the  Union,  and  three  more  for 
the  Stars  and  Stripes.  Captain  Herman,  of  the  Union  Home  Guards,  of 
Burnettsville,  was  present,  and  secured  some  twenty  volunteers.  Ladies 
were  present,  who  fully  appreciated  the  ominous  state  of  affairs,  and  whose 
loyalty  was  as  pronounced  and  emphatic  as  that  of  their  husbands,  brothers 
or  sbns.  The  occasion  was  enlivened  with  splendid  singing,  and  the 
stirring  notes  of  fife  and  drum.  On  the  9th  of  May  the  Monticello  Rifles 
learned  that  their  services  would  not  be  required,  and  an  order  came  from 
the  Governor  to  forward  immediately  the  guns  in  their  possession.  The 
members  felt  so  indignant  over  the  matter  that  they  passed  a  series  of 
resolutions  regretting  the  non-acceptance  of  the  company.  Two  of  the 
resolutions  were  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That  White  County  feels  that  her  interest  in  the  preservation  of  the  Union 
and  the  honor  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes  is  equal  to  that  of  any  other  county  in  the  State 
or  United  States,  and  she  should  have  the  opportunity  of  manifesting  it  on  the  field 
of  battle. 

Resolved,  That  we  will  still  maintain  our  organization  and  keep  alive  the  tendei  of  our 
services  to  the  State  at  any  time  they  may  be  required. 

Those  resolutions  were  a  true  index  to  the  determined  loyalty  prevail 
incf  in  the  county.  Here  were  men  angry  because  their  services  could 
not  be  accepted,  and  in  the  face  of  a  positive  refusal  to  accept  them  they 
determined  to  maintain  their  organization  in  the  hope  that  eventually 
they  might  be  permitted  to  avenge  the  insult  to  the  flag.  It  is  no  won- 
der that  White  County,  with  such  men,  became  one  of  the  fifteen  coun- 
ties in  the  State  to  clear  herself  from  the  draft  of  October,  1862,  by  vol- 
untary enlistments.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  put  the  record  of  such  a  county 
in  permanent  form.  And  this  state  of  things  did  not  end  as  soon  as 
the  novelty  of  going  to  war  had  worn  off.  It  continued  unabated  until 
Appomattox  was  reached,  and  the  gallant  armies  came  trooping  home 
amid  the  plaudits  of  their  fellow  citizens  and  the  glories  of  hard-earned 
victories  on  hundreds  of  bloody  fields. 

Loyalty. — About  this  time  the  ministers  of  Monticello  began  to  preach 
war  sermons.  Rev.  William  P.  Koutz  was  the  first,  preaching  from  the 
subject,  "  The  National  Crisis,  and  Our  Duties  as  Christians  and  Pa- 
triots."    Others  followed  his  example.     It   seems,  also,  that  Monticello 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  55 

was  just  working  itself  into  a  fever  of  loyal  enthusiasm,  and  was  destined 
to  have  another  revival  of  intense  interest  in  war  matters  as  was  had 
when  the  news  was  received  that  Sumter  had  fallen,  only  on  a  larger 
scale.  Handbills  were  published  and  circulated  that  a  Union  meeting 
would  beheld  at  the  court  house  Tuesday  evening,  May  14th.  On  that 
occasion  Major  Levi  Reynolds  was  called  to  the  chair,  and  Thomas  D. 
Crow  was  made  Secretary.  The  President  announced  that  the  object  of 
the  meeting  was  to  take  into  consideration  the  state  of  the  Union,  and 
made  an  eloquent  speech,  deploring  the  fact  that  party  lines  were  still 
drawn,  and  declaring  that  there  should  be  but  one  party  when  the  country, 
was  in  peril.  Great  enthusiasm  prevailed,  and  the  following  gentlemen 
were  called  out  and  spoke  amid  loud  acclamations  and  thundering  cheers  : 
R.  W.  Sill,  W.  A.  Parry,  G.  O.  Behm,  Thomas  Bushnell,  D.  M.  Tilton, 
James  Wallace  and  others.  J.  C.  Brown  moved  that  a  committee  of 
five  be  appointed  to  consider  the  propriety  of  organizing  a  vigilance 
committee  at  Monticello,  which  motion,  after  some  discussion,  was  carried, 
whereupon  the  following  persons  were  appointed  such  committee :  James 
Wallace,  J.  C.  Brown,  A.  Reed,  Dr.  W.  S.  Raymond  and  Zebulon 
Sheetz.  The  following  resolution  was  then  read,  vociferously  cheered, 
and  passed  with  vigorous  unanimity  : 

Resolved  unanimously  hij  the  People  of  Mnntieello  and  vicinity  now  assembled  in  the  court 
room  to  consider  the  state  of  the  Union,  That  we  send  our  fraternal  greeting  and  the  ex- 
pression of  our  warmest  sympathies  to  our  brethren  now  in  the  field  engaged  in  main- 
taining the  honor  of  our  national  standard  and  the  integrity  of  our  American  Union  ; 
and  that  we  express  ourselves  as  ready  to  follow  the  glorious  example  of  our  Revolution- 
ary fathers,  and  for  the  defense  of  the  institutions  they  founded  to  "pledge  our  lives, 
our  fortunes  and  our  sacred  honor." 

Thomas  D.  Crow, 
David  Turpik. 

The  First  Aid  to  Soldiers. — Thomas  Bushnell  reported  that  a  subscrip- 
tion was  being  raised  to  furuish  the  White  County  boys  in  the  field  with 
necessary  blankets,  oil-cloth  capes,  clothing,  etc.  This  was  the  first 
movement  in  the  county  to  aid  the  soldiers,  and  undoubtedly  one  of  the 
very  first  in  the  State.  The  meeting  for  the  organization  of  a  vigilance 
committee  was  held,  but  a  division  as  to  the  propriety  of  such  a  move- 
ment occurred,  not  owing  to  a  lack  of  loyalty,  but  to  quiet  the  fears  of 
possible  public  disturbance  at  home,  and  as  a  precautionary  measure 
against  unforeseen  disaster  to  society.  Levi  Reynolds,  Thomas  Bush- 
nell and  T.  D.  Crow  objected  to  the  movement,  while  James  Wallace, 
J.  C.  Brown  and  many  others  favored  it.  The  mass  of  people  present 
were  so  thoroughly  in  earnest,  however,  and  determined  to  permit  no  oppor- 
tunity of  general  safety  to  pass  unheeded,  that  the  measure   passed  by  a 


56  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

large  majority  in  a  standing  vote.  Scarcely  anything  was  done,  however, 
to  carry  out  the  measure,  as  new  questions  arose  that  required  constant 
attention  and  energy.  Another  large  war  meeting  was  announced  for 
Saturday  night,  May  18th,  Judge  Turpie   being  announced  as  principal 


The  Spectator  of  May  17th,  said  : 

During  the  past  week  the  citizens  of  Monticello  have  been  doing  a  work  of  love  and 
patriotism  that  will  not  only  distinguish  the  place,  but  be  a  source  of  pleasant  remem- 
brance in  all  time  to  come.  The  men  and  boys  contributed  money  and  material  and  the 
women  and  girls  have  been  busily  engaged  in  making  shirts,  blankets,  cakes,  etc.,  for 
the  volunteers  from  this  county  now  at  Camp  Morton.  Some  fifty  flannel  shirts  and  two 
boxes  of  nice  provisions  are  the  result  of  this  labor,  which  were  sent  to  Indianapolis 
yesterday  morning.  This  donation  will  do  an  immense  amount  of  good,  not  because  the 
luxuries  are  greater  than  camp-life  affords,  nor  the  comforts  needed,  but  because  they 
are  from  the  hands  and  hearts  of  dear  friends  who  appreciate  the  sacrifices  their  noble 
sons  are  ofl'ering  for  the  cause  of  freedom. 

It  has  been  the  pleasure  of  the  writer  of  this  chapter  for  several  years 
past  to  critically  review  the  military  history  of  some  twelve  counties  in 
Indiana  and  Ohio  ;  but  in  all  such  experience  not  a  county  was  found  to 
equal  White  in  the  intensity  and  activity  of  loyal  work  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end  of  the  war.  No  act  in  the  past  can  be  pointed  to  with 
greater  pride  than  this.  Too  great  praise  can  not  be  given,  in  view  of 
the  obstacles  overcome  and  the  sacrifices  made. 

Wai'  Meetings. — On  the  18th  of  May  another  rousing  meeting  was 
held  at  the  court  house  with  Levi  Reynolds,  President,  Zebulon  Sheets 
and  D.  D.  Dale,  Vice  Presidents,  and  James  Spencer  and  J.  W.  Mc- 
Ewen,  Secretaries.  W.  S.  Haymond,  Lucius  Pierce,  F.  G.  Kendall, 
Thomas  Bushnell  and  Orlando  McConahay  were  appointed  a  Commit- 
tee to  draft  resolutions.  In  a  few  minutes  the  committee  reported  a  se- 
ries of  twelve,  which  was  adopted  amid  rounds  of  cheers,  and  ordered 
printed  in  the  county  newspapers.  Messrs.  Turpie,  Belford  and  Hay- 
mond, in  turn,  then  addressed  the  audience.  This  was,  in  fact,  a  Demo- 
cratic Union  meeting,  the  event  passing  harmoniously,  with  strong 
denunciations  of  the  rebellion,  and  earnest  declarations  to  maintain  the 
Government.  Other  meetings  were  held  in  almost  every  township,  but 
no  record  was  kept  of  the  proceedings.  The  excitement  continued 
through  the  month  of  June,  the  numerous  letters  received  from  the  field 
serving  to  fan  the  flames  to  a  white  heat.  It  was  decided  to  have  an 
enthusiastic  demonstration  at  Monticello  on  the  fourth  of  July.  Several 
thousand  people  assembled  at  the  grove  about  a  half  a  mile  north  of  town, 
and  were  called  to  order  by  the  President  of  the  day.  Sevei'al  of  the 
citizens  addressed  the  multitude,  after  which  dinner  was  served  under  the 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  57 

shade  of  the  trees.  After  enjoying  the  repast,  the  following  men  re- 
sponded to  toasts  :  W.  S.  Haymond,  David  Turpie,  J.  B.  Belford,  E, 
Hughes,  James  Wallace,  G.  W.  Pickrell,  W.  P.  Koutz,  J.  C.  Brown, 
Dr.  Wilson,  G.  W.  Spencer,  A.  R.  Orton,  D.  M.  Tilton,  B.  S.  Smith, 
John  Reynolds,  Levi  Reynolds,  William  Wright,  Rowland  Hughes, 
George  Inman,  A.  W.  Reynolds,  L.  Butler  and  J.  W.  Elliott.  It  was  a 
most  enjoyable  day.  The  evening  was  made  brilliant  with  bonfires, 
rockets,  firecrackers,  and  deafening  cheers. 

The  First  Company. — It  was  about  this  time  that  word  was  received 
from  Gov.  Morton  that  the  "  Monticello  Rifles  "  had  been  accepted  and 
would  move  to  Camp  Tippecanoe,  Lafayette,  on  the  5th  of  July.  This 
created  intense  enthusiasm.      The  Spectator  of  Friday,  July  12th,  said  : 

DEPARTURE  OF  CAPTAIN    RBED's    COMPANY  ! 
AVHITE    COUNTY  REDEEMED  ! 

The  most  interesting  scene  since  the  opening  of  the  war,  so  far  as  relates  to  our  town 
and  county,  occurred  in  this  place  the  first  of  the  present  week.  On  Tuesday  the  glad 
news  came  that  Captain  Reed's  company,  which  was  being  organized  in  our  midst,  had 
been  accepted  and  would  march  next  day  to  Camp  Tippecanoe,  taking  position  in  Col. 
Bj'own's  regiment.  It  was  immediately  announced  that  there  would  be  a  farewell  meet- 
ing at  the  court  house  in  the  evening.  The  parents  and  friends  of  the  volunteers  flocked 
out  until  the  house  was  crowded.  Proceedings  were  opened  with  prayer  and  music. 
Then  followed  speeches  of  lofty  patriotism,  fervent  hope  and  kind  advice.  *  *  *  * 
After  the  company  had  formed  in  line  and  everybody  had  shaken  hands  with  the  brave 
boys  and  bid  them  good-bye,  the  meeting  adjourned  to  assemble  next  morning  at  the 
r.iilroad,  where  a  nice  flag  was  presented  the  company,  Rev.  Mr.  Smith  making  the 
siieech,  and  more  farewells  wei-e  said. 

About  the  middle  of  August,  tlie  boys  who  had  loft  the  county  for  the 
three  months  service  returned.  They  had  been  delayed  at  Indianapolis 
in  getting  their  pay,  but  when  they  came  at  last,  hundreds  of  all  se.xes 
and  ages  assembled  at  the  depot  to  receive  them.  As  the  train  came  in, 
and  the  boys  in  tattered  uniforms,  empty  sleeves  or  horrid  scars,  stepped 
upon  the  platform,  they  were  welcomed  with  the  wildest  demonstrations 
of  joy.  Mothers,  wives,  sweethearts,  sisters,  fathers  and  brothers — all 
were  there  to  look  again  into  the  eyes  of  their  loved  ones,  to  hear  the  old 
tones,  and  to  feel  once  more  the  warm  pressure  of  loving  hands.  The 
brave  boys  Avere  escorted  to  the  residence  of  Captain  Reed,  whose  lady 
and  others  had  prepared  an  ample  repast  of  the  most  tempting  delicacies. 
Ah,  how  sweet  and  nice  everything  was,  how  the  joke  went  round,  how 
the  flashes  of  merriment  set  the  table  in  a  roar,  how  the  husli  of  sorrow 
fell  upon  all  at  the  mention  of  names  of  boys — sons,  brothers,  husbands 
— lying  in  southern  graves  !     Not  satisfied  that  they  had    done   enough 


58  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

for  the  boys,  the  citizens  gave  them  another  elegant  supper  the  following 
night  at  the  residence  of  Peter  Price. 

Subsequent  Enlistments. — Immediately  after  this,  J.  Gr.  Staley  and 
Watson  Brown  opened  an  enlistment  office,  and  called  for  volunteers. 
They  were  greatly  aided  by  Rev.  Thomas  Callahan  and  other  citizens, 
who  traversed  the  county,  holding  war  meetings,  and  receiving  the  names 
of  volunteers.  During  the  latter  part  of  September  and  the  first  of  Oc- 
tober Dr.  William  Spencer,  Eli  R.  Herman,  Henry  Snyder  and  others 
enlisted  an  entire  company  in  the  county.  The  first  part  of  October  the 
company,  though  not  quite  full,  was  ordered  to  Logansport.  Before 
starting  the  boys  listened  to  a  farewell  address  from  the  court  house  steps 
by  T.  D.  CroAv,  Esq.,  to  which  Captain  Spencer  replied.  Good-byes 
were  spoken,  and  the  company  was  gone.     This  was  the  15th  of  October. 

The  Spectator  of  October  ISth,  said : 

Now  for  Captain  R.  W.  Sill's  company !  Let  it  be  filled  up  immediately,  and  cursed 
be  the  craven-hearted  cur  that  oifers  opposition  to  it*  It  is  a  double  duty  we  owe  to 
Mr.  Sill  and  our  bleeding  country  to  help  the  matter  on.     Let's  do  it  like  men.  * 

Flag  and  Sword  Presentation. — Much  of  Captain  Sill's  company  was 
enlisted  while  Spencer's  was  being  organized.  Mr.  Sill,  Joseph  D.  Cowdin, 
John  M.  Berkey  and  others  were  especially  active  in  securing  volunteers. 
The  work  rapidly  continued,  and  finally  the  21st  of  November  was  set 
for  the  departure  of  the  company.  A  splendid  dinner  had  been  prepared 
at  the  house  of  J.  C.  Reynold's  by  the  sisters  of  Captain  Sill  and  the 
ladies  of  Monticello,  and  for  two  hours  the  feast  continued,  the  company 
and  others  to  the  number  of  over  three  hundred  enjoying  the  tempting 
viands.  At  two  o'clock  p.  m.  a  large  delegation  packed  the  court  house 
to  Avitness  the  ceremonies  of  flag  and  sword  presentation.  Levi  Reynolds 
was  made  President,  and  after  the  house  had  been  called  to  order,  a  group 
of  ladies  entered  the.  door  bearing  a  magnificent  silk  banner.  The  house 
thundered  at  the  sight,  and  when  order  was  restored,  Miss  Ophelia  H. 
Reynolds  presented  the  flag  to  the  company  in  a  most  eloquent  address. 
Captain  Sill  briefly  replied.  The  "Star  Spangled  Banner"  was  sung 
with  great  effect,  after  which  Col.  Fitch,  of  the  46th  Regiment,  entertained 
the  audience  in  a  speech  two  hours  in  length.  At  the  conclusion  of  his 
speech,  Judge  Turpie,  on  behalf  of  the  ladies  of  Reynolds  and  Honey 
Creek  ToAvnship,  presented  Captain  Sill  with  an  elegant  sword.  The 
Captain  again  responded  and  the  audience  then  listened  to  an  eloquent 
speech  from  Mr.  DeHart.  The  ceremonies  were  over,  and  the  boys 
mai'ched  away,  followed  by  loving  words  and  tears  of  sincerest  sorrow. 

*  The  italics  are  those  of  the  editor  of  the  newspaper,  and  are  comparative,  indicating  that  opposi- 
tion had  been  encountered  in  enlisting  the  company  of  Captain  Spencer. 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  /)9 

Continued  Efforts. — During  the  colder  months  of  1861-2,  the  enlist- 
ment of  men  was  almost  at  a  standstill.  Letters  from  the  boys  of  Cap- 
tain Reed's  company  of  the  20th,  Captain  Spencer's  company  of  the 
46th,  and  Captain  Sill's  company  of  the  46th,  and  from  the  9th,  1.5th 
and  other  regiments,  were  published  in  every  issue  of  the  two  county 
papers.  News  of  the  death  of  some  boy  was  received  every  few  days. 
Many  a  house  *was  draped  with  crape,  and  many  a  family  overwhelmed 
with  keenest  sorrow,  when  the  news  was  received  that  some  loved  one 
had  given  his  life  to  his  country.  In  March,  1862,  Sergeant  W.  H.  H. 
Rader  and  others  appeared  and  began  to  enlist  recruits  for  Captain  Sill's 
company.  At  the  same  time  Lieutenant  Benney  and  others  recruited 
for  the  9th  regiment.  On  the  29th  of  March,  the  citizens  of  Reynolds 
presented  a  fine  sword,  publicly,  to  Captain  M.  F.  .Johnson.  Dr.  Alden 
called  the  meeting  to  order,  and  J.  C.  Suit,  Esq.,  delivered  the  presenta- 
tion speech,  which  was  replied  to  by  Captain  Johnson.  Johnson  Gregory 
followed  in  a  short  speech,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  Mr.  Suit  "  coming 
forward  held  the  audience  enchained  with  words  of  burning  eloquence 
and  patriotism  in  a  speech  of  an  hour  and  a  half."  A  very  hopeful  feel- 
ing seemed  to  pervade  the  county  at  this  time,  for  the  Herald  of  April 
11th  said  : 

Three  short  months  ago,  if  any  one  had  hazarded  the  assertion  that  our  flag  would 
float  in  triumph  in  every  State  in  the  Union,  and  the  rebels  would  be  completely  sub- 
dued before  the  first  of  May,  he  would  have  been  considered  a  mad  enthusiast.  Now, 
who  doubts  but  that  in  the  next  twenty  days  every  fortification  in  the  rebellious  States 
will  h  ave  been  taken,  and  the  stars  and  stripes  wave  defiantly  in  the  face  of  treason. 

The  full  magnitude  of  the  rebellion  was  not  yet  comprehended.  Early 
in  1862,  when  the  Republican  newspapers  throughout  the  north  were 
severely  criticising  the  dilatory  policy  of  Gen.  McClellan,  and  when 
many  of  them  openly  declared  in  favor  of  a  belief  that  he  was  at  heart  a 
traitor  and  was  shuffling  his  cards  for  the  benefit  of  the  South,  Milton 
M.  Sill,  editor  of  the  Monticello  Herald,  appeared  in  an  editorial,  insist- 
ing that  McClellan  was  an  incompetent,  was  sacrificing  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  and  perhaps  the  Union  cause,  and  should  be  displaced  and  an 
officer  appointed  who  could  successfully  oppose  the  array  of  Northern 
Virginia  under  Gen.  Lee.  Within  ten  days  after  this  article  appeared, 
about  thirty  prominent  citizens  of  the  county — Democrats  and  Republi- 
cans— called  at  the  Herald  office  and  ordered  their  papers  discontinued. 
The  Democrats  were  very  irritable  on  the  subject  of  McClellan's  in- 
competency, and  many  Republicans  were  satisfied  that  he  was  doing 
about  all  that  a  man  in  his  place  could  do. 

Additional  Volunteers. — During  the  early  months  of  1862,  Captain 


60  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COTTNTY. 

M.  F.  Johnson,  Lieutenant  Joseph  W.  Davis,  and  others  enlisted  about 
two  thirds  of  a  company,  which  afterward  became  D  of  the  63d  Regiment. 
In  August  Captain  John  Holloway,  Lieutenant  George  W.  Jewett,  Lieu- 
tenant Aden  Nordyke  and  others  enlisted  Company  G  of  the  63d.  During 
this  period — from  January  to  August — more  than  two  hundred  men  left 
the  county,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  entering  the  63d,  and  the  re- 
mainder going  as  recruits  into  the  9th,  20th,  46th  and  other  regiments. 
A  few  entered  the  72d  and  73d,  and  a  few  the  86th.  The  enlistment 
during  July  and  August  was  especially  active.  About  twenty  men  of 
Company  H  of  the  87th  were  from  White.  In  August  Captain  Sidney 
W.  Sea  and  others  enlisted  about  one  half  of  Company  K  of  the  90th 
(Fifth  Cavalry).  These  men  were  obtained  mostly  from  the  western  part 
of  the  county.  At  the  same  time  Brookston  and  vicinity  came  forward 
with  a  full  company  enlisted  mostly  by  Captain  George  H.  Gwinn,  Lieu- 
tenant Andrew  Cochran,  Lieutenant  G.  S.  Walker  and  others.  This  ex- 
cellent company  entered  the  99th  regiment . 

Bowman's  Company. — In  June,  1862,  White  County  had  more  than 
one  fourth  of  her  voting  population  in  the  field.  In  July  Geor^^e  Bow- 
man was  authorized  to  raise  a  company  for  the  12th  regiment,  which  was 
being  reorganized.  War  meetings  were  held  during  July  in  various 
portions  of  the  county,  and  fiery  speeches  were  made  to  kindle  the  love 
of  country,  and  induce  men  to  append  their  names  to  the  fatal  enlistment 
roll.  An  enthusiastic  war  meeting  was  held  at  Idaville  on  the  26th  of 
July,  on  which  occasion  Belford,  Callahan  and  Wallace,  loyal  Democrats, 
delivered  patriotic  addresses,  and  urged  all  men,  without  regard  to  party, 
to  stand  by  the  Union.  A  rousing  meeting  was  also  held  at  Monticello. 
On  the  same  day  of  the  meeting  at  Idaville,  two  meetings  were  held  in 
Liberty  Township,  where  eight  volunteers  joined  Captain  Bowman's 
company.  Early  in  August  the  company  received  marching  orders. 
On  the  5th  of  August  the  boys  were  given  a  picnic  dinner  at  Norway, 
on  which  occasion  C.  J.  L.  Foster  and  others  spoke  to  the  large  crowd 
that  had  assembled  to  bid  the  boys  good-bye.  Essays  were  read  by  Miss 
Arnold  and  others;  and  patriotic  toasts  were  responded  to  amid  the  en- 
thusiastic cheers  of  the  populace  and  the  shrill  rattle  of  fife  and  drum.  - 
The  following  officers  had  been  chosen  on  the  1st  of  August :  George 
Bowman,  Captain;  J.  A.  Blackwell,  First  Lieutenant;  Benjamin  Price, 
Second  Lieutenant.  On  the  same  day  a  large  meeting  was  held.  Rev. 
J.  W.  T.  McMullen  delivering  the  oration.  One  hundred  dollars  were 
raised  in  a  few  minutes  for  the  families  of  the  boys  who  were  on  the  eve- 
of  departure  for  the  uncertainties  of  the  field  of  war.  On  the  ^th,  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  picnic  at  Norway,  the  company  started  for  Indianapolis, 
followed  by  the  sorrowing  farewells  of  friends.     In  less  than   two    weeka 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    (.T)UNTY.  61 

the  company,  with  its  regiment,  the  12th,  marched  out  in  battle  array  on 
the  field  of  Richmond,  Ky,,  fought  gallantly,  was  captured,  paroled,  and 
scattered,  and  many  of  its  bravest  boys  were  consigned  to  soldiers' 
graves. 

The  Fourth  of  July,  18G2.— The  Fourth  of  July,  1862,  was  celebrated 
at  three  different  places  in  the  county,  one  being  Monticello.  A  vast 
crowd  assembled  to  enjoy  the  occasion.  Gaily  decorated  processions  in 
wagons  and  on  horseback  came  to  town  from  all  points  of  the  compass, 
carrying  banners  and  loyal  mottoes,  and  following  a  band  of  stirring 
martial  music.  The  indispensable  and  omnipresent  small  boy  was  pres- 
ent en  masse,  strutting  proudly  around  in  suits  of  soldiers'  blue  which 
had  been  hurriedly  prepared  for  the  occasion  by  the  fond  mother,  and 
filling  the  air  with  confusion  and  discordant  noises.  Wagon  loads  of 
young  ladies  dressed  in  white,  with  gay  ribbons  of  red  and  blue  and 
bi'ight  garlands  of  summer  flowers,  passed  through  the  thronging  streets 
of  the  county  seat.  The  vast  procession  was  formed  at  the  court  house 
and  marched  out  to  the  fair  ground  where  the  ceremonies  of  the  national 
day  were  to  be  held.  Rev.  McMasters,  D.  D.,  opened  the  occasion  with 
pi-ayer  ;  John  Shultz  read  that  wonderful  document,  the  Declaration  of 
Independence;  and  Hon.  Charles  H.  Test  delivered  an  oration  of  unusual 
power  and  eloquence.  The  following  toasts  were  responded  to  :  "  Tiie 
Union  "  by  George  Bowman  ;  "  Our  Country  "  by  C.  J.  L.  Foster  ;  "  The 
Great  Rebellion,"  by  Rev.  Thomas  Callahan.  The  occasion  was  enlivened 
with  vocal  patriotic  music  sung  by  sweet-voiced  quartets.  Soldiers  in 
full  uniform  were  present,  and  were  the  center  of  all  eyes  and  the  heroes 
of  the  occasion.  After  the  tumult  of  the  day  the  crowd  dispersed  to  their 
homes. 

County  Conventions. — The  county  conventions  of  the  two  partfes  in  1862 
were  well  attended  and  enthusiastic.  The  Democratic  platform  favored 
a  continuance  of  the  war  to  maintain  the  Union.  One  plank  of  the  Re- 
publican platform  was  as  follows: 

Resolved,  That  who  seeks  in  any  way  to  embarrass  and  cripple  the  power  of  the  Pres- 
'  ident  and  the  army,  is  an  enemy  of  his  country,  and  merits  the  unconditional    con- 
demnation of  all  his  fellow  citizens. 

The  Draft  of  1862. — After  the  departure  of  Captain  Bowman's  com- 
pany, it  was  found  that  the  county  was  not  wholly  free  from  the  ap- 
proaching draft  of  September  15th,  and  measures  were  immediately  in- 
stituted to  fill  the  required  quota.  Lieutenant  J.  W.  Berkey  opened  a 
recruiting  office,  as  did,  also,  others.  One  of  the  largest  war  meetings 
held  during  the  rebellion  assembled  at  the  court  house  on  the  11th  of 
August  to  raise  volunteers.     It  was  advertised    that    Colfax    and    Col. 


62 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 


Hathaway  would  be  present,  and  this  brought  out  a  vast  crowd;  but  these 
distinguished  men  were  unable  to  attend,  and  home  talent  was  called 
upon.  The  following  statement  of  county  affairs  was  made  out  about 
the  1st  of  September  : 


Townships. 

.2 

3 

2 

1 

1 

1 

.s 

il 

Is 

> 

^1 

Prairie 

275 

106 

216 

127 

120 

175 

95 

60 

74 

65 

27 

137 
41 

139 
64 
52 
85 
95 
42 
55 
27 
15 

42 
22 
49 
25 
20 
41 
18 
10 
17 
13 
1 

10 

5 

2 

3 

136 
39 

128 
55 
44 
81 
91 
36 
52 
24 
14 

233 

Big  Creek  

84 

Union 

157 

102 

Liberty 

100 

Jackson 

120 

Princeton 

75 

West  Point 

60 

57 

Cass 

46 

Round  Grove .... 

26 

Total 

1337 

751 

258 

20 

700 

1059 

Sergeant  Henry  Billings  began  raising  recruits  for  Company  E  of  the 
46th,  about  the  middle  of  September.  War  meetings  were  held  at  every 
town  and  at  almost  every  schoolhouse.  The  exertions  of  the  citizens 
saved  the  county  from  the  draft  of  October  6th,  White  being  one  of  the 
only  fifteen  counties  in  the  State  to  accomplish  this  result.  The  draft 
had  been  fixed  for  the  15th  of  September,  but  at  the  last  moment,  to  give 
every  township  abundant  opportunity,  it  was  postponed  to  October  6th. 
The  county  was  justly  proud  of  its  activity  and  loyalty.  In  October 
the  following  appeared  in  the  county  paper  : 


A  HUSBAND    WANTED. 

I,  the  undersigned,  a  girl  about  twenty  years  of  age,  good-looking,  dark  hair,  blue 
eyes,  of  good  moral  character  and  will  make  a  good  wife,  wish  to  marry  a  man,  hand- 
some, industrious,  a  good  Union  man  and  a  soldier  if  possible.  Address  Miss  A.  W., 
Seaiield,  White  County,  Indiana. 

The  matrimonial  opportunity  of  soldiers  at  this  time  seems  to  have 
been  without  a  cloud.  It  is  stated  by  those  who  ought  to  know  that 
Miss  A.  W.  found  the  man  she  wanted.  But  the  war  still  continued — 
down  south. 

War  Meetings. — In  February,  1863,  a  large  Union  meeting  was  held 
at  Monticello  to  consider   the  state  of  the  country.     Rev.  Thomas  Calla- 


60 

z 

D  CO 

IS 


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CO 

z: 
a: 

QQ 


D 

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THE  WEW  YOM      ' 
PUBLIC  LIBUKY 


HISTORY   OF    WHITE   COUNTY.  65 

han  was  president,  and  Milton  M.  Sill,  Secretary.  J.  B.  Belford,  Van 
McCulloch,  William  Orr,  John  Roberts  and  Thomas  Wiley  reported  a 
long  series  of  patriotic  resolutions,  which  was  adopted.  Callahan  and 
Belford  delivered  speeches.  A  little  later  a  Democratic  meeting  was 
held  in  Liberty  Township  "  to  devise  means  to  prevent  illegal  arrests." 
Nothing  serious  was  enacted.  In  June,  the  following  enrollment  was 
made,  which  included  all  of  suitable  age,  sound  and  unsound :  Prairie, 
278;  Big  Creek,  97;  Union,  194;  Monon,  119:  Liberty,  113;  Jackson, 
168;  Princeton,  98;  West  Point,  72;  Honey  Creek,  68;  Cass,  56 ; 
Round  Grove,  28;  total,  1,291. 

The  Fourth  of  July,  1863. — One  of  the  largest  assemblages  ever  in 
Monticello  met  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  1863.  At  an  early  hour  the  pro- 
cessions began  to  arrive,  coming  from  the  country  in  clouds  of  dust,  and 
headed  by  martial  bands.  Tiie  train  brought  a  vast  delegation  from  the 
eastern  part  of  the  county.  About  9:30  o'clock  in  the  morning  Orlando 
McConahay,  Marshal  of  the  day,  began  to  unite  the  scattered  fragments 
into  one  grand  procession  which  marched  through  the  principal  street 
amid  the  wildest  enthusiasm.  Monticello  had  never  before  witnessed  a 
pageant  so  brilliant  and  imposing.  The  clarion  voice  of  the  fife  rang  out 
above  the  deep  roll  of  the  drum  and  the  heavier  thunders  of  anvil  and 
cannon  ;  and  the  wild  waves  of  huzzahs  that  swept  over  the  ocean  of  up- 
turned faces  and  the  hundreds  of  flaunting  banners  and  decorations, 
fired  the  soul  of  the  dullest  with  the  flames  of  patriotism.  This  gay 
cavalcade  marched  to  the  beautiful  grove  of  Lucien  Pierce  about  half  a 
mile  north  of  town,  where  the  ceremonies  of  the  day  were  to  be  enjoyed. 
F.  G.  Kendall,  President  of  the  day,  called  the  assembled  citizens  to 
order,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Kerr  uttered  a  fervent  prayer.  "  America  "  was 
sung  by  all  with  great  power.  Daniel  D.  Dale  read  the  Declaration  of 
Independence,  after  which  a  splendid  picnic  dinner  was  spread  out  and 
eaten  with  (possibly)  patriotic  appetite.  Toasts :  "  The  Day  we  Celebrate" 
by  Ellis  Hughes,  Esq.;  "  The  Signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  " 
by  Thomas  Bushnell,  Esq.;  "  Our  Country  "  by  Dr.  W.  S.  Haymond  ; 
"  The  Press  "  by  Captain  Alfred  Reed ;  "  The  Army  "  by  Rev.  Thomas 
Callahan;  "Peace"  by  Hon.  David  Turpie.  A  bevy  of  sweet-faced 
Jittle  girls,  dressed  in  national  colors,  and  crowned  with  wreaths  of  roses 
and  evergreen,  sang  a  beautiful  song  ;  and  their  childish  voices  rang  out 
on  the  cool  air  of  the  grove  like  the  melody  of  the  nightingale.  In- 
dividuals were  present  with  butternut  breastpins  fastened  to  their  coats 
with  ribbon.  Some  found  it  difficult  to  work  the  following  day,  owing 
to  black  eyes  and  sore  heads.     The  day  was  greatly  enjoyed. 

On  the  evening  of  the  Fourth  the  news  was  received  of  the  surrender 
of  Vicksburg.  Monticello  could  scarcely  contain  herself.  The  citizens 
5 


66  *  HiSTOHY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

gathered  at  the  court  house  to  mingle  rejoicings.  A  huge  bonfire  of 
barrels  and  boxes  was  lighted  on  the  street,  bells  were  rung,  guns  and 
anvils  were  fired,  speeches  were  made,  and  fire  crackers  and  shouts  filled 
the  air  with  noise.  Many  of  the  country  folk  remained  to  enjoy  the 
spectacle.  A  few  men  went  around  with  long  faces,  wanting  to  bet  (the 
drinks)  that  Vicksburg  was  not  "took."  They  were  "took"  up  imme- 
diately by  loyal,  though  convivial,  neighbors.  The  long-faced  individuals 
were  out  a  few  dollars  when  the  official  returns  were  in. 

Reneived  Efforts  — Soon  after  this,  news  of  John  Morgan's  raid  was 
received,  and  a  company  of  forty  men  was  formed  in  a  few  hours  by  0. 
McConahay  and  others,  and  its  service  to  repel  the  invader  was  tendered 
the  Governor,  but  word  was  received  that  it  was  not  wanted.  It  was 
about  this  time,  also,  that  considerable  disloyalty  began  to  be  publicly 
manifested  in  the  county.  Two  men  in  the  northern  part  had  a  serious 
altercation  about  butternuts.  Several  young  men  in  the  western  part 
were  involved  in  a  savage  fight.  The  aggressors  were  fined  before  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  Sometimes  ladies  attempted  to  settle  disputes  of 
a  political  nature  by  an  appeal  to  arms.  Witnesses  of  the  encounters 
solemnly  testify  that  the  aff"rays  were  the  most  terrific  ever  recorded  in 
the  annals  of  war  ;  gowns  were  torn  to  ribbons,  piercing  "  yells  "  more 
horrid  than  those  of  rebels  rent  the  air,  and  mysterious  articles  of  apparel 
were  strewn  in  profusion  upon  the  ground.  These  items  more  properly 
belong  to  profane  history,  possibly. 

Another  Company.-^ — Under  the  call  of  June  15,  1863,  for  100,000 
six  months'  men,  Captain  Elijah  C.  Davis  and  Lieutenants  Joseph  W. 
Davis  and  Isaac  H.  Jackson  enlisted  a  full  comp.my  in  the  county  and 
entered  the  116th  Regiment,  the  date  of  muster  being  August  17th. 
The  company  was  K,  and  served  until  mustered  out  the  following  Feb- 
ruary. Under  the  call  of  October  17,  1863,  for  300,000  men  for  three 
years,  the  county  quota  was  106.  Immediate  efforts  were  begun  to  raise 
the  men.  Captain  D.  M.  Graves,  of  Newton  County,  appeared,  and 
called  for  recruits  for  the  Twelfth  Cavalry.  He  had  rousing  meetings  at 
Monticello,  Brookston,  and  elsewhere.  Lt.  William  C.  Kent  opened  an 
enlistment  office  for  the  128th  Regiment.  The  papers  at  that  time  pub- 
lished very  flattering  off"ers  of  bounty  to  both  veterans  and  new  recruits 
—to  the  former  $410,  and  to  the  latter  $380,  per  annum.  The  exten- 
sive and  enthusiastic  efforts  soon  freed  the  county.  Many  entered  the 
old  regiments.  About  half  of  Company  I  of  the  126th  was  from  White 
County,  as  was  also  about  one  third  of  Company  F  of  the  127th  (Twelfth 
Cavalry),  and  one  half  of  Company  K  of  the  same.  Among  the  recruit- 
ing officers  during  the  months  of  November  and  December,  1863,  and 
January,  1864,  were  D.  M.  Graves,  Henry  H.  Graves,  B.  0.  Wilkinson, 


HISTORY    OP    WHITE   COUNTY.  67 

W.  C.  Marshall,  and  others.  In  December,  1863,  a  large  war  meeting 
at  Brookston  was  presided  over  by  Benjamin  Lucas,  President,  and  W.  B. 
Chapman,  Secretary.     Judge  Turpie  delivered  the  oration. 

Military  Committees. — To  more  readily  meet  the  call  of  October,  1863, 
the  following  township  recruiting  committees  were  appointed:  Prairie — 
Thomas  B.  Davis,  Dr.  John  Mcdaris,  and  E.  P.  Mason  ;  Big  Creek — 
George  R.  Spencer,  J.  11.  Jefferson,  and  Clinton  Crose  ;  Monon — J.  L. 
Watson,  Dr.  J.  T.  Richardson,  and  W.  G.  Porter;  Liberty — Thomas 
Wickersham,  H.  G.  Bliss,  and  George  Cullen ;  Jackson — E.  R.  Herman, 
Andrew  Hanna,  and  D.  McConahay;  Princeton — J.  B.  Bunnell,  David 
Wright,  and  B.  C.  Johnson ;  West  Point— C.  H.  Test,  0.  P.  Murphey, 
and  David  Delinger;  Cass — E.  P.  Potter,  W.  0.  Hopkinson  and  Hanni- 
bal McCloud  ;  Honey  Creek — Frank  Howard,  J.  S.  Vinson,  and  Nicholas 
Young ;  Round  Grove — A.  Ward,  Stewart  Rariden,  and  Patrick  Carroll. 
The  county  recruiting  committee  were  Ransom  McConahay,  James  Wal- 
lace, Mathew  Henderson,  Lucius  Pierce,  and  Thomas  Bushnell.  These 
committees  were  selected  on  the  7th  of  November,  1863,  at  a  large  war 
meeting  held  at  Monticello,  upon  which  occasion  Col.  Anderson,  Com- 
mandant of  the  9th  District,  addressed  the  audience  for  an  hour  and  a 
half 

Recruits. — Through  the  winter  months  and  on  into  the  spring  of  1864, 
the  enlistment  for  Company  F  of  the  128th  Regiment  continued.  This 
company  was  enlisted  mostly  by  Captain  James  G.  Staley,  Lieutenants 
W.  C.  Kent  and  Henry  G.  Bliss.  The  Regiment  (128th)  rendezvoused 
at  Michigan  City.  Captain  Staley's  company  was  full  about  the  middle 
of  March,  1864.  While  yet  at  Camp  Anderson,  Michigan  City,  the 
members  of  his  company  purchased  a  fine  sword  which  was  formally  pre- 
sented to  Captain  Staley  by  the  regimental  chaplain.  Rev.  William  P. 
Kountz,  of  Monticello.  Brave  Captain  Staley  was  afterward  shot  dead 
at  Franklin,  Tenn.,  while  at  the  head  of  his  company  repelling  a  fierce 
assault  from  the  enemy. 

The  heavy  calls  of  February  and  March,  1864,  and  finally  the  call  of 
July  18th  for  500,000  men  for  one,  two,  and  three  years,  somewluit 
staggered  the  county ;  but  the  citizens  began  to  make  earnest  efforts  to 
meet  the  demand.  A  most  hopeful  feeling  prevailed  at  this  time,  as  it 
was  already  apparent  that  the  rebellion  was  wavering  before  the  final  fall. 
About  one  half  of  Company  B  of  the  142d  went  from  Idaville  during  the 
month  of  September,  1864,  Captain  James  Thomas  and  Lieutenants  R. 
H.  Cary  and  R.  W.  Clary  enlisting  the  men.  About  twenty-five  men 
from  the  county  entered  Company  II  of  the  same  regiment.  About 
fifteen  recruits  entered  Company  C  of  the  42d  in  October.  Some  fifty 
recruits  joined  Company  G  of  the  68d   during  the   summer    months  of 


68 


HISTORY   OF   WHITE   COUNTY. 


1864.  Late  in  1864  and  early  in  1865  about  fifty  recruits  joined  Com- 
pany F  of  the  128th,  Among  the  recruiting  officers  in  the  county  during 
the  latter  part  of  1864  was  M.  F.  Smith. 

The  Draft. — As  stated  above  the  county  was  successful  in  escaping  the 
draft  of  October,  1862.  As  time  passed  on,  however,  and  subsequent 
heavy  calls  were  made,  the  county,  having  largely  expended  her  strength, 
began  to  find  it  difficult  to  meet  the  demands.  Committees  were  formed 
in  all  portions  of  the  county  to  solicit  volunteers  and  to  pay  out  local 
bounty  raised  for  the  purpose  by  special  levies.  Enthusiastic  war  meet- 
ings were  held  everywhere,  silver-tongued  orators  were  engaged  to  appeal 
to  the  manhood  and  patriotism  of  the  citizens,  and  beautiful  Avoraen  were 
sent  around  with  the  enlistment  roll  to  assault  the  citadel  of  the  heart. 
The  county  was  successful  with  her  tenders  of  money,  the  appeals  of  her 
orators  and  the  flattery  of  her  women,  until  the  autumn  of  1864,  when  it 
was  found  that  the  draft  must  be  sustained.  The  calls  of  February, 
March,  April  and  July,  1864,  for  an  aggregate  of  nearly  one  million 
men,  placed  a  burden  upon  the  county  which  could  not  be  met  by  volun- 
tary enlistment.  The  county  quota  of  February,  1864,  with  some  defi- 
ciency was,  210,  of  March,  84,  and  of  July,  237,  or  a  total  of  531.  The 
county  struggled  for  this  large  number  amid  disloyalty  and  various  dis- 
couragements, until  at  last,  just  after  the  draft,  the  following  exhibit  was 
prepared : 


Townships. 

11 1 

Si 

3 

1' 

1 

c 

> 

1 
ft 

XT     ^ 

o 

o 
is 

l5 

i 

1 

1 

32 
11 
19 

9 
20 
16 
12 

4 
14 
28 
45 

13 
4 
7 
4 
8 
6 
5 
2 
6 
11 
18 

36 
12 
19 

9 
20 
19 
15 

4 
18 
31 
54 

81 

27 
45 
22 
48 
41 
32 
10 
38 
70 
117 

50 
15 
27 
18 
33 
41 
19 
9 
21 
42 
106 

6 

3 

7 
2 

4 
1 

.. 

'i 

13 
6 

8 
1 
3 

io 

"6 
9 

61 
18 
42 
16 
40 
42 
29 
9 
28 
64 
112 

13 
1 
9 
1 
4 
4 
9 
5 

38 

3 

"i 

12 
5 

'2 

45 
17 
32 
15 
36 
26 
15 
4 
21 
55 
74 

00 

Honey  Creek    , , 

9 

Liberty 

3 

Cass    '    

6 

Monon 

8 

Princeton* 

West   Point 

8 

Round  Grove 

1 

Big  Creek    

10 

Jackson 

6 

5 

Total 

210 

84 

237 

521 

376 

43 

42 

461 

98 

23 

340 

71 

The  draft  took  place  in  October,  1864,  at  Michigan  City  under  K.  G. 


Princeton  furnished  a  surplus  of  one  man. 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COIJNIY. 


69 


Shryock,  Provost  Marshal;  Jaraes  B.  Bi^lfonl,  Cominissioner ;  and 
Daniel  Dayton,  Surgeon.  The  following  draft  was  made  in  White 
County  with  an  equal  number  of  alternates  from  each  township:  Union, 
32  ;  Big  Creek,  17  ;  Cass,  7  ;  Liberty,  14  ;  Monon,  17  ;  Honey  Creek,  11 ; 
Princeton,  15  ;  and  in  two  other  townships,  the  number  of  men  not  being 
ascertainable.  Even  while  the  draft  was  going  on,  and  for  a  time  after- 
ward, the  townships  were  given  an  opportunity  to  free  themselves  by 
voluntary  enlistments.  This  they  embraced,  but  to  what  extent  is  indef- 
inite. The  number  of  drafted  men  that  reported  is  shown  in  the  above 
exhibit.  But  the  county  was  yet  behind  and  a  "  supplementary  "  draft 
took  place,  though  the  details  can  not  be  given.  Men  continued  to  en- 
list in  response  to  generous  offers  of  bounty.  Many  left  the  county  to 
enlist,  as  much  greater  bounty  was  offered  in  the  larger  cities  south  and 
east.  Such  men  were  credited,  of  course,  to  the  localities  paying  the 
bounty,  and  were  thus  lost  to  White  County.  The  call  of  December  19, 
1864,  stinmlated  anew  the  enlistment.  During  the  winter  months  of 
1864-5,  war  meetings  were  held  everywhere  to  clear  the  county,  but  the 
work  was  slow  and  tedious.  Draft  was  again  fixed  for  the  15th  of  Feb- 
ruary, but  was  postponed  until  early  in  April,  1865,  when  it  came  off  at 
Michigan  City.  The  details  can  not  be  given.  The  number  of  drafted 
men  that  reported  may  be  learned  from  the  following  exhibit,  which  was 
made  out  on  the  14th  of  April,  1865,  when  all  efforts  to  raise  men  were 
abandoned.  The  exhibit  refers  to  the  call  of  December"  19,  1864,  for 
300,000  men : 


Townships. 

2 

a    • 
o 

1^ 

Is 

ii 
II 

-2 
"3 

1 

a 
1 

1« 

11 
til 

a 

O       i 

i   1 

(M 

o- 

o- 

jz; 

> 

o 

o 

fcn         f 

M           &H 

(K 

Union  ...            

83 
17 

25 

7 

25 

12 
2 

5 

9 

8 
5 

29 
12 

20 

7 

9 
6 

4 

Honey  Creek       

5 

Liberty 

71 

13 

13 

9 

8 

3 

20 

12 

8 

7 

Cass.    .. 

12 
66 
79 
22 

3 
13 
11 

3 
13 
11 

6 

n 

5 

7 

3 
4 

8 
18 
11 

6 

3 
11 

5 

'.        2 

5 

5 

Princeton                         

West  Point 

Round  Grove                

18 

6 
11 

n 

3 

6 
10 

6 
10 

Big  Creek 

Jackson          

114 
244 

17 
51 

17 
51 

4 

40 

18 
3 

8" 

26 
51 

8 
44 

.      18 
4        3 

9 

Prairie 

Total 

763 

163 

163 

97 

57 

. 

197 

136 

4     57 

35 

Number  of  3Ien  Furnished. — It  is  impossible  to  state  the  exact  num- 
ber of  men  furnished  by  the  county  during  the  war  of  1861-5;   only  an 


"0 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 


approximate  number  can  be  given.  About  the  first  of  September,  1862, 
the  county  had  furnished  751  volunteers,  700  of  whom  were  then  in  the 
service.  The  calls  of  July  and  August,  1862,  for  an  aggregate  of  600,- 
000  men,  required  from  White  not  less  than  220  men,  and  this  number 
was  promptly  furnished.  About  90  men  left  the  county  for  the  six 
months'  service  under  the  call  of  June  15,  1863 ;  and  the  county  quota 
of  106  under  the  call  of  October,  1863,  was  furnished.  The  quota  under 
the  two  calls  of  February  and  March,  1864,  was  about  170  men  ;  under 
the  call  of  July,  1864,  was  237  men;  and  under  the  last  call  of  the  war  in 
December,  1864,  was  163.  These  quotas  were  all  filled,  partly  by  draft, 
partly  by  enlistment,  and  partly  by  veteran  credits.  By  the  last  table 
above,  it  will  be  seen  that  on  the  14th  of  April,  1865,  when  all  efforts  to 
raise  troops  ceased,  the  county  had  furnished  a  surplus  of  34  men  above 
all  calls.  To  recapitulate  from  the  above  facts,  751  and  220  and  90  and 
106  and  170  and  237  and  163  and  34  and  an  estimated  100  that  left  the 
county  to  enlist,  give  a  grand  total  of  men,  credited  to  the  county  during 
the  war,  of  1,871.  This  number  includes  volunteers,  recruits,  conscripts, 
veterans,  and  those  who  enlisted  more  than  once  for. short  periods.  This 
estimate  is  not  far  from  correct,  and  is  a  very  superior  showing  for  a 
county  whose  total  militia  including  exempts  did  not  exceed  about  2,300. 
White  County  Companies. — The  following  full  companies,  with  all 
their  officers  during  the  war,  were  furnished  by  the  county :  Company 
K  of  the  20th  Regiment — Captains,  Alfred  Reed  and  J.  C.  Brown  ; 
First  Lieutenants,  John  T.Richardson;  J.  C.  Brown  and  John  Price ; 
Second  Lieutenants,  Daniel  D.  Dale,  J.  B.  Harbolt,  John  Price,  John  C. 
Bartholomew  and  Samuel  E.  Ball.  Company  E  of  the  46th  Regiment — 
Captains,  William  Spencer,  Henry  Snyder  and  Charles  F.  Fisher ;  First 
Lieutenants,  Eli  R.  Herman,  George  Spencer,  Charles  F.  Fisher  and 
Ellis  Hughes;  Second  Lieutenants,  Henry  Snyder,  Charles  F.  .Fisher, 
Preston  S.  Meek  and  Abram  F.  Hunter.  Company  G  of  the  46th  Reg- 
iment— Captains,  Robert  W.  Sill,  Joseph  D.  Cowdin,  Woodson  S. 
Marshall,  James  Hess  and  Joseph  L.  Chamberlain  ;  First  Lieutenants, 
Joseph  D.  CoAvdin,  James  Hess,  Joseph  M.  Taylor  and  Enos  Thomas; 
Second  Lieutenants,  John  M.  Berkey,  James  Hess,  W.  H.  H.  Rader 
and  Joseph  H.  Carr.  Company  G,  63d  Regiment — Captains  John  Hollo- 
way  and  Aden  Nordyke ;  First  Lieutenants,  G.  W.  Jewett,  Aden  Nor- 
dyke  and  T.  S.  Jones ;  Second  Lieutenants,  Aden  Nordyke,  T.  S.  Jones 
and  Timothy  D.  Hogan.  Company  D  of  the  12th  Regiment  (three 
years) — Captains,  George  Bowman  and  B.  F.  Price;  First  Lieutenants, 
J.  A.  Blackwell,  B.  F.  Price  and  Lewis  Murray;  Second  Lieutenants, 
B.  F,  Price  and  Amos  J.  Osborn.  Company  F  of  the  99th  Regiment — 
Captains,  George   H.  Gwinn   and  Andrew   Cochran  ;  First  Lieutenants, 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  71 

Andrew  Cochran,  Jolin  T.  Ramoy  and  J.  C.  Klepiriger  ;  Second  Lieuten- 
ants, G.  S.  Walker  and  T,  J.  Thompson.  Company  K  of  the  116th 
Regiment  (six  months) — Captain,  Elijaii  C.  Davis  ;  First  Lieutenant, 
Joseph  W.  Davis;  Second  Lieutenant,  Isaac  H.  Jackson.  Company  F 
of  the  128th  Regiment — Captains,  James  G.  Staley  and  Henry  G.  Bliss  ; 
First  Lieutenants,  J.  G.  Staley,  H.  G.  Bliss,  Watt  E.  Brown  and  Cal- 
vin W.  Keefer  ;  Second  Lieutenants,  William  C.  Kent,  Thomas  Fitzpat- 
rick  and  John  Skevington.  Company  G  of  the  151st  Regiment  (from 
White  and  Pulaski  Counties) — Captain,  Carter  L.  Vigus  ;  First  Lieu- 
tenants, Elijah  C.  Davis  and  Jam  \s  D.  Sherman  ;  Second  Lieutenants, 
J.  D.  Sherman  and  Enoch  Benefiel. 

Sanitary  Efforts. — The  first  efforts  of  a  sanitary  nature  have  been 
referred  to  a  few  pages  back.  In  March,  1862,  the  jffera?tZ  suggested  the 
propriety  of  organizing  Ladies'  Aid  Societies  in  the  county,  but  no  action 
at  that  time  seems  to  have  been  taken.  Another  such  suggestion  in 
April  met  the  same  fate.  Still  later  in  the  same  month,  it  was  an- 
nounced through  the  Herald  that  a  meeting  to  organize  such  a  society 
would  be  held  at  the  court  house  on  the  afternoon  of  the  23d  of  April. 
It  is  probable  that  the  meeting  was  not  held,  as  no  account  of  it  appears 
in  the  Herald  of  the  following  weeks.  On  the  1st  of  August,  J.  W.  T. 
McMullen  delivered  an  eloquent  oration  at  Monticello,  upon  which 
occasion  $100  was  subscribed  for  soldiers'  ftimilies.  Nothing  further 
appears  until  Monday,  March  16,  I860,  when  an  organization  was  at 
last  effected.  Mrs.  J.  B.  Bel  ford  was  made  President  of  the  meeting, 
and  Mrs.  A.  R.  Orton,  Secretary.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  pre- 
pare articles  of  association  and  government.  The  following  permanent 
officers  were  elected :  Mrs.  H.  P.  Anderson,  President ;  Mrs.  N. 
Ilctherington,  Vice-President ;  Mrs.  Milton  M.  Sill,  Treasurer  ;  Mrs.  A. 
R.  Orton,  Secretary  ;  Mrs.  F.  II.  Kicfhaber,  Mrs.  A.  Kingsbury,  Mrs. 
T.  Bushnell,  Mrs.  J.  B.  Belford  and  Miss  Ettie  Newton,  Directresses. 
Money  which  had  been  collected  at  the  time  of  the  departure  of  Captain 
Bowman's  company,  and  which  had  not  been  expended,  was  turned  over 
to  the  society  by  A.  Kingsbury,  in  whose  hands  it  had  been  intrusted. 
In  May  the  following  appeared  in  the  county  paper : 

We  are  gratifieil  to  note  the  increasing  prosperity  and  uniform  success  of  this  patriotic 
society.  C)rganize<l  as  it  was  amid  the  tumults  and  troubles  of  a  sanguinary  political 
strife,  it  met  with  opposition  from  many  whose  mistaken  notions  prevented  them  from 
co-operating  and  blinding  their  reason  to  the  real  object  and  purpose  of  the  society. 
Like  Spartan  mothers  the  ladies  composing  the  Society  continued  their  labors  of  love  and 
mercy,  ever  seeking  to  conciliate  the  disaffected,  and  persevering  in  their  efforts  to  remove 
every  obstacle  in  the  way  of  a  hearty  co-operation  of  all  until  they  now  have  the  sat- 
isfaction of  seeing  members  of  all  political  parties,  and  those  of  evei-y  shade  of  opinion 
and  belief  united  in  one  common  cause,  and  by  their  presence,  influence  and  means 


72  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

aiding  them  in  their  noble  and  patriotic  labors.  *  *  *  *  The  meeting  of  the  Society 
at  the  court  house  on  last  Friday  evening  was  well  attended.  Ranaom  McConahay  was 
called  to  the  chair.  Judge  Turpie  addressed  the  audience  for  nearly  an  hour  in  remarks 
that  were  well-timed,  instructive  and  patriotic.  The  amount  received  by  contribution 
was  $21.40.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  invite  Hon.  Alfred  Reed  to  address  the 
Society  ht  its  meeting  in  two  weeks. 

On  the  19th  of  June,  a  strawberry  festival  held  at  the  court  house 
netted  the  Society  nearly  $50,  The  building  was  crowded  with  ladies 
and  gentlemen,  and  the  occasion  was  greatly  enjoyed.  The  Society  con- 
tinued on  during  the  remainder  of  the  war,  doing  an  excellent  work  ; 
but,  owing  to  the  lack  of  records  which  should  have  been  kept,  the  details 
can  not  be  given. 

Bounty  and  Relief. — The  first  action  taken  by  the  County  Commis- 
sioners in  the  direction  of  relief  to  soldiers'  families  was  in  August,  1862, 
when  township  trustees  were  authorized  to  provide  for  the  reasonable 
wants  of  the  families  of  soldiers  iu  the  field,  keeping  proper  vouchers, 
upon  the  presentation  of  which  they  would  be  reimbursed  from  the  county 
treasury.  It  was  not  until  the  26th  of  November,  1863,  that  the  Com- 
missioners authorized  the  payment  of  $100  bounty  to  volunteers  under 
the  call  of  October,  but  after  that,  and  even  long  after  the  war  had  ended, 
large  amounts  were  paid  out.  No  proper  record  seems  to  have  been  kept 
of  these  important  disbursements.  The  following  imperfect  exhibit,  taken 
from  the  Adjutant- General's  Report  is  the  best  that  can  be  given  of  the 
county  bounty  and  relief  fund: 


White  County       .      ... 

Bounty. 
$60,500 

Relief. 

$      48  80 

Prairie 

25,000 

1  776  86 

Big  Creek 

450 

34.92 

Union 

Monon 

675 

50 

812.83 

262.95 

Liberty 

100 

68.89 

Jackson 

150     .. 

544  35 

Princeton 

3,300 

West  Point 

1,228 

48.30 

Cass 

333 

1,370.37 

Honey  Creek 

392.58 

Round  Grove             

4,100 

6  30 

$101,250.15. 

Total 

Grand  Total 

$95,880 

$5,364.15 

Joy  and  Sorrow. — The  receipt  of  the  news  of  the  surrender  of  the 
army  of  Gen.  Lee  to  Gen.  Grant  at  4:30  o'clock  p.  m.,  April  9,  1865, 
was  received  with  intense  and  universal  rejoicing.  Public  meetings  were 
held  everywhere,  that  the  citizens  might  have  the  opportunity  of  mingling 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  73 

their  congratulations  and  publicly  expressing  their  joy  at  the  successful 
issue  of  the  war  and  the  maintenance  of  the  union  of  the  States.  Un- 
fortunately an  account  of  these  meetings  can  not  be  given.  Immediately 
after  this  came  the  painful  news  that  President  Lincoln  had  been  assas- 
sinated. The  revulsion  in  public  feeling  was  sickening.  Many  a  man 
and  woman  had  learned  to  love  the  name  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  He  had 
led  them  through  four  long  years  of  darkness  and  death — had  been  the 
cloud  by  day  and  pillar  of  fire  by  night  through  all  the  starless  gloom  of 
war,  and  now,  when  the  sunlight  of  victory  had  lighted  the  national  heart 
with  boundless  joy,  and  every  eye  was  dim,  and  every  knee  bent  in 
grateful  thanksgiving,  to  have  the  beloved  Lincoln  cut  down  so  untimely 
was  indeed  bitter  and  hard  to  bear.  Scores  burst  into  tears  as  if  they 
had  lost  their  dearest  friend.  A  meeting  was  called  to  be  held  at  the 
court  house  April  19th,  to  pay  proper  tribute  to  the  life  and  public  services 
of  the  illustrious  dead.  Lucius  Pierce  was  called  to  the  chair,  and  W.  H. 
Dague  and  J.  W.  McEwen  appointed  Secretaries  ;  George  Spencer,  A. 
R.  Orton,  R.  Brown,  Benjamin  Spencer,  and  Thomas  Bushnell  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  prepare  resolutions  suitable  to  the  occasion. 
The  court  room  Avas  beautifully  decorated  with  evergreen  sprigs  and  early 
blossoms,  and  a  large  portrait  of  the  martyred  President  shrouded  in  a 
fine  silk  banner  and  draped  with  crape  and  other  trappings  of  sorrow  oc- 
cupied the  wall  over  the  chairman.  Eloquent  eulogies  were  delivered  by 
Revs.  Black  and  Cissel,  and  Messrs.  Turpie,  R.  McConahay,  Ellis 
Hughes,  and  others.  Select  quartets  supplied  splendid  music.  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  services,  the  church  and  the  court  house  bells  were  tolled 
one  hour.  All  business  was  suspended  from  9  o'clock  a.  m.  until  3  o'clock 
p.  m.,  and  the  principal  streets  and  buildings  were  extensively  and  ap- 
propriately draped.  The  following  resolutions  were  presented  by  the 
committee  and  unanimously  adopted  : 

Whereas,  Abraham  Lincoln,  a  man  eminent,  for  the  purity  of  his  life  and  his  unself- 
ish devotion  to  his  country,  and  for  four  years  President  of  the  United  States  at  a  time 
and  under  circumstances  which  rendered  his  duties  peculiarly  difficult  and  embarrassing 
while  still  performing  the  duties  of  that  office  to  which  he  has  been  re-elected  by  a  confid- 
ing people,  has  been  stricken  down  by  the  hand  of  a  murderer,  therefore 

Resolrfd,  That  we  have  received  the  news  of  this  terrible  calamity  with  the  deepest 
emotions  of  horror  and  grief. 

Resolved,  That  the  deceased  will  stand  among  the  brightest  names  of  history,  and 
will  be  forever  remembered  with  admiration  and  honor  not  only  by  his  countrymen,  but 
by  the  good  and  true  of  all  countries  and  of  all  times. 

Resolved,  That  the  ruler  of  no  people  in  the  past  history  of  the  world  has  had  such 
high  trusts  under  circumstances  so  perilous,  and  discharged  the  high  responsibility  with 
such  unselfish  devotion. 

Resolved,  That  amid  the  throes  of  national  calamity  we  humbly  pray  that  God  may 
avert  the  evil  which  seems  to  overwhelm  us,  and  overrule  this  dark  crime  to  the  good 
of  the  nation. 


74  HISTORY    or    WHITE    COUNTY. 

Resolved,  That  our  late  President,  required  to  discharge  the  duties  of  an  office,  the 
most  arduous  and  difficult  in  times  tlie  most  troublesome,  has  vindicated  his  previous 
reputation  for  honesty  and  purity — has  earned  the  title,  and  may  appropriately  be 
termed  "  God's  noblest  work — an  honest  man,"  and  that  time  has  proved  his  course  or 
policy  to  have  been  conceived  in  the  highest  wisdom  and  executed  with  the  greatest 
ability. 

Fitting  memorial  services  were  also  held  in  many  other  places  in  the 
county.  The  meeting  at  Reynolds  was  presided  over  by  J.  H.  Thomas, 
Johnson  Gregory  serving  as  secretary.  Appropriate  remarks  were  made, 
and  a  series  of  seven  very  long  resolutions  was  adopted.  The  heart  of 
the  people  went  out  in  universal  and  protracted  sorrow  at  the  national 
loss.  The  worth  of  the  great  man  was  realized  by  many,  as  is  too  often 
the  case,  after  the  grave  had  closed  over  him,  and  his  name  had  been 
placed  with  that  of  Washington. 

Sketches. — The  following  sketches  of  regiments  which  contained  a 
considerable  number  of  men  from  White  County  are  compiled  from  the 
Adjutant  General's  reports  and  are  substantially  correct.  Sketches  of 
other  regiments  will  be  found  in  the  military  history  of  Pulaski  county 
elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

TWELFTH  INFANTRY  (three  years'  service). 

This  regiment  was  reorganized  at  Indianapolis  for  the  three  years' 
service  on  the  17th  of  August,  1862.  It  soon  moved  to  Kentucky  to 
resist  the  threatened  invasion  of  Kirby  Smith.  On  the  30th  of  August, 
in  less  than  two  weeks  from  the  time  of  organization,  it  participated  in 
the  battle  of  Richmond,  Ky.,  losing  173  men  killed  and  wounded, 
including  Col.  Link.  The  regiment  was  mostly  taken  prisoners.  Captain 
Bowman  of  White  County  received  a  slight  wound.  After  the  exchange 
the  regiment  joined  Gen.  Grant.  After  various  movements  it  marched 
on  the  Vicksburg  campaign,  participating  in  all  the  battles.  It  was  with 
Sherman's  long  march  from  Memphis  to  Chattanooga.  In  November, 
1863,  it  fought  at  Mission  Ridge,  losing  110  men  and  officers.  Captain 
Bowman  was  so  seriously  wounded  that  he  was  conveyed  home  and  did 
not  afterward  join  his  company  or  regiment.  It  pursued  Bragg  to 
Georgia,  and  then  marched  to  the  relief  of  Burnside  at  Knoxville.  It 
engaged  in  tbe  Atlanta  campaign,  fighting  at  Dallas,  Resaca,  New 
Hope  Church,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Jonesboro  and  many  skirmishes, 
losing  between  Dalton  and  Atlanta  240  men,  killed  and  wounded.  It 
pursued  Hood,  and  then  moved  with  Sherman  to  the  sea.  It  moved 
north  through  the  Carolinas.  It  skirmished  at  Griswoldville,  Savannah,- 
Columbia  and  Bentonville.  It  moved  to  Raleigh,  Richmond,  Washing- 
ton, D,  C,  and  then  to  Indianapolis.  It  was  mustered  out  on  the  8th  of 
June,  1865,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


HISTOKY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  ''  75 


SIXTY-THIRD  INFANTRY. 


This  was  organized  early  in  1862,  and  for  a  time  did  provost  duty  in 
Indiana.  During  this  period  and  longer  it  was  only  a  battalion  of  com- 
ni  es  A,  B,  C  and  D.  In  May  the  battalion  moved  east,  and  in 
August  fought  at  Manassas  plains.  After  this  it  returned  to  Indian- 
apolis where  the  regimental  organization  was  completed.  In  December 
it  moved  to  Kentucky,  where  it  guarded  railroads,  etc.,  skirmishing 
several  times  with  the  enemy.  After  various  expeditions  it  joined  the 
Athinta  campaign.  It  fought  at  Rocky  Face  Ridge,  Resaca  (where  it 
lost  112  killed  and  wounded),  Dallas  (losing  16  wounded),  near  Lost 
Mountain  (losing  14  killed  and  wounded),  Kenesaw  Mountain  and 
Atlanta,  losing  men  at  all  places.  It  skirmished  often,  destroyed  much 
rebel  property,  and  was  always  active.  Later,  it  fought  at  Franklin, 
and  at  Nashvillle,  and  joined  in  the  pursuit  of  Hood.  In  February, 
1865,  it  moved  east  to  North  Carolina.  It  participated  in  the  attempt 
to  turn  Hoke's  position,  and  fought  at  Fort  Anderson.  It  fought  again 
near  Wilmington,  and  after  various  arduous  campaigns,  the  remaining 
companies  E,  F,  G,  H,  I  and  K  were  mustered  out  at  Greensboro,  June 
21,  1865.  A,  B,  C  and  D  had  returned  to  Indianapolis  in  May,  at 
which  place  they  were  mustered  out. 

NINETY-NINTH  INFANTRY. 

This  was  organized  in  August  and  September,  1862,  at  South  Bend, 
and  was  mustered  in  October  21st.  In  November  it  moved  to  Memphis, 
'renn.  It  moved  on  the  Tallahatchie  campaign,  and  then  did  guard 
duty.  In  May,  1863,  it  joined  the  Vicksburg  campaign,  after  which  it 
fought  at  Jackson,  and  skirmished  at  Big  Black  River.  In  September 
it  moved  to  Memphis,  and  in  November  to  Chattanooga.  It  fought  at 
Mission  Ridge,  and  pursued  Bragg.  It  moved  to  the  relief  of  Burnside 
amid  incredible  privations.  It  fought  at  Chattanooga  and  at  Rocky 
Face  Ridge.  It  fought  at  Resaca,  Dallas,  Big  Shanty,  and  the  seven 
days'  skirmislies  before  Kenesaw  Mountain.  It  fought  at  Nickajack 
Creek,  Decatur  and  Atlanta,  where  its  commander,  Gen.  McPherson,  was 
killed.  It  fought  at  Jonesboro  and  Lovejoy's  station,  also  at  Little 
River,  Ga.  It  moved  with  Sherman  to  Savannah,  skirmishing  at  Can- 
nouchee  River  and  at  Ogeechee  River.  It  participated  in  the  brilliant 
charge  upon  Fort  McAllister.  It  moved  north  through  the  Carolinas, 
skirmishing  at  Duck  Creek,  Edisto  River  and  Bentonville.  On  the  5th 
of  June,  1865,  it  was  mustered  out  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTEENTH    INFANTRY. 

These  men  were  recruited  at   Lafayette  and  mustered    in    in  August, 


76  HISTOKY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

1863.  It  moved  first  to  Dearborn  near  Detroit,  Michigan,  to  guard  the 
U.  S.  arsenal.  In  September  it  moved  to  Kentucky.  In  October  it 
fought  the  rebels  at  Blue  Springs,  and  again  in  December  at  Walker's 
Ford.  It  waded  the  river  there  under  a  heavy  musketry  fire,  and  took  a 
position  to  check  the  enemy  until  other  troops  had  crossed  the  river. 
After-ward  the  fighting  was  severe.  After  doing  much  arduous  guard 
and  fatigue  duty  the  regiment  moved  to  Indianapolis,  thence  to  Lafayette, 
where  it  was  mustered  out.      Its  term  of  service  was  six  months. 

ONE    HUNDRED    AND    TWENTY-EIGHTH    INFANTRY. 

This  regiment  was  recruited  during  the  fall  and  winter  of  1863,  and 
rendezvoused  at  Michigan  City.  It  was  mustered  in  March  18,  1861, 
and  took  the  field  first  at  Nashville,  Tenn.  Later  it  marched  to  the 
front  at  Charleston.  It  marched  on  the  Atlanta  campaign,  fighting  at 
Ixesaca,  Dallas,  New  Hope  Church,  Lost  Mountain,  Kenesaw  Mountain, 
Atlanta,  and  Jonesboro.  It  moved  in  pursuit  of  Hood,  and  joined  the 
army  of  Gen.  Thomas.  It  skirmished  six  days  near  Columbia,  and  fought 
at  Franklin,  and  later  at  Nashville,  and  joined  in  pursuit  of  Hood.  The 
regiment  moved  to  Virginia,  then  to  North  Carolina,  then  to  Newbern. 
The  enemy  was  encountered  at  Wise's  Fork,  and  two  days'  skirmishing 
resulted.  Here  the  regiment  lost  severely.  It  was  not  mustered  out 
until  early  in  1866. 

WHITE    county's    ROLL    OF    HONOR.* 

Ninth  Infantry. — Charles  H.  Allison,  died  of  disease,  December,  1861; 
Horatio  B.  Best,  died  of  disease  at  Gallatin,  September,  1862;  Daniel 
Davisson,  died  at  Nashville,  November,  1862;  Josephus  Davisson,  died  at 
Medarysville,  Ind.,  February,  1865;  Jesse  E.  Davisson,  died  at  Nashville, 
December,  1862;  George  W.  Faris,  died  at  Cheat  Mountain,  December, 
1861 ;  William  Gibbs,  died  at  ReadyviUe,  Tenn.,  April  1863  ;  William 
McDaniels,  died  at  Elkwater,  Va.,  October,  1861;  William  Lewzader, 
died  of  wounds  received  at  Kenesaw,  July,  1864;  Francis  M.  Elston, 
captured  at  Chickamauga,  died  in  Andersonville  Prison;  Daniel  Phillips, 
died  at  home,  May,  1862  ;  Thomas  F.  Prevoe,  died  at  Nashville,  Febru- 
ary, 1863 ;  William  M.  Robey,  died  at  Cheat  Mountain,  December,  1861; 
A.  M.  Scott,  captured  at  Chickamauga,  died  in  Andersonville,  August, 
1864  ;  Charles  Wilson,  killed  at  Buffalo  Mountain,  December,  1861. 

Twelfth  Infantry. — Washington  Custer,  died  at  Grand  Junction, 
Tenn.,  February,  1863  ;  John  W.  Burnell,  killed  by  fall  from  a  building, 

*  This  record  is  made  out  from  the  Adjutant  General's  Reports  and  is  the  best  that 
can  be  given. 


HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY.  // 

July,  1863;  Samuel  R.  Burnell,  died  at  Camp  Sherman,  Miss.,  August. 
1863  ;  George  W.  Colvin,  died  at  Grand  Junction,  Tenn.,  March,  1863  ; 
lien ry  11.  Coshon,  died  at  Camp  Sherman,  Miss.,  September,  1863; 
George  Davis,  died  at  Grand  Junction,  Tenn.,  February,  1863;  Sihis 
Dern,  died  at  Grand  Junction,  Tenn.,  February,  1863  ;  Frank  Eldridge, 
died  at  Grand  Junction,  IMarch,  1863 ;  James  T.  French,  died  at  Troy, 
0.,  March,  1864;  Joseph  Fisher,  died  at  Scottsboro,  Ala.,  January, 
1864;  Oliver  B.  Glasscock,  died  at  Scottsboro,  Ala.,  May,  1864;  John 
G.  Irelan,  died  at  Memphis,  April,  1863;  Hampton  D,  Johnson,  died  at 
Grand  Junction,  March,  1863;  Isaac  E.  Jones,  died  at  Grand  Junction, 
^3nn.,  January,  1863;  Robert  T.  Little,  killed  near  Atlanta,  July,  1864  ; 
Samuel  D.  Mclntire,  killed  at  Richmond,  Ky.,  August,  1862;  Benjamin 
McCormick,  killed  at  Richmond,  Ky.,  August,  1862  ;  William  Skivington, 
killed  at  Mission  Ridge,  November,  1863;  Harvey  E.  Scott,  killed  near 
Atlanta,  July,  1864 ;  John  E.  Tedford,  died  at  Nashville,  March, 
1865  ;  Jacob  Vanscoy,  killed  at  Mission  Ridge,  November,  1863:  Samuel 
Dickey,  killed  at  Atlanta,  August,  1864;  Eliliu  B.  Miller,  died  of  Avounds, 
September,  1862;  Joseph  H.  Rook,  died  of  wounds  at  Richmond,  Ky., 
November,  1862  ;  Francis  M.  Reed,  died  at  Scottsboro,  March,  1864, 
John  Shigley,  killed  at  Resaca,  Ga.,  May,  1864. 

TJdrteenth  Infantry. — Daniel  Utsler,  died  of  wounds  received  at 
Petersburg,  June,  1864. 

Twentietli  Infantry. — Second  Lieutenant  John  C.  Bartholomew,  died 
of  wounds,  May,  1864;  Nathaniel  W.  Brunnel,  died  of  wounds  received 
at  Gettysburg  ;  Robert  Duncan,  killed  at  Cold  Harbor,  Va.,  June,  1864  ; 
James  W.  Dyer,  killed  at  Gettysburg,  July,  1863  ;  Abraham  Dawson, 
died  at  Philadelphia,  September,  1862  ;  John  M.  Dobbins,  died  at  Phila- 
delphia, August,  1862. 

Thirty-fifth  Infantry. — James  Bowley,  died  at  Bull's  Gap,  April, 
1865. 

Forty-sixth  Infantry. — Joseph  Adams,  died  at  St.  Louis,  April, 
1862  ;  David  Bishop,  died  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  February,  1865  ;  Edward 
M.  Brous,  died  at  New  Madrid,  Mo.,  March,  1862  ;  Isaac  Briner,  died 
of  wounds  received  at  Vicksburg,  June,  1863  ;  Joshua  T.  Colvin,  died 
in  prison  at  Tyler,  Texas,  December,  1864  ;  William  R.  Clouse,  killed 
at  Sabine  Roads,  April,  1864  ;  Daniel  Crummer,  died  at  Milliken's 
Bend,  May,  1863;  John  B.  Crummer,  died  at  Grand  Gulf,  Miss.,  May, 
1863 ;  David  A.  Debra,  died  at  Bardstown,  Ky.,  February,  1862  ;  Ed- 
ward Folk,  died  at  Tyler,  Texas,  April,  1864 ;  William  J.  Kendall,  died 
at  St.  Louis,  June,  1863  ;  Robert  C.  Henderson,  died  at  Evansville,  Ind., 
April,  1862;  John  D.  Herman,  died  at  Burnettsville,  July,  1862  ;  James 
Hastings,  died    in    rebel    prison ;  Josiah    Mitz,  died   at    Helena,    Ark., 


/>S  HISTORY    OF    WHITE    COUNTY. 

February,  1863  ;  Randolph  Meredith,  died  at  Netv  Orleans,  January, 
1862;  George  W.  Smith,  killed  at  Champion  Hills,  May,  1863 ;  John 
Meredith,  died  while  prisoner,  July,  1864 ;  Martin  V.  Wiley,  died  at 
Burnettsville,  April,  1862 ;  J.  K.  M.  Wood,  drowned  at  Memphis,  June, 
1864. 

EigJily- seventh  Infantry. — George  W.  Bare,  died  at  Bowling  Green, 
Ky.,  December,  1862  ;  John  A.  Dunnick,  died  at  Gallatin,  June,  1863 ; 
Richard  B.  Herman,  died  at  Nashville,  March,  1863  ;  Willis  H.  Kelley, 
died  at  Nashville,  April,  1863. 

Ninetieth  Infantry. — Joseph  Alexander,  died  in  Andersonville  Pris- 
on, Ga.,  August,  1864;  Henry  C.  Iron,  died  at  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  Jan- 
uary, 1863 ;  Peter    Lawrence,  died  at  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  January,  1863. 

Ninety-ninth  Infantry. — Thomas  H.  Calvin,  died  at  LaGrange,  Tenn., 
February,  1863 ;  Stephen  B.  Gould,  died  at  LaGrange,  Tenn.,  March, 
1864  ;  John  W.  Hughes,  killed  at  Kenesaw,  June,  1864  ;  Alexander 
Herron,  died  of  wounds,  September,  1864  ;  Archibald  McLean,  died  at 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  December,  1862  ;  Nathaniel  Matthews,  drowned  near 
Helena,  Ark.,  October,  1863 ;  Lemuel  E.  Newell,  drowned  near  Helena, 
Ark.,  June,  1863  ;  John  P.  Russell,  died  on  hospital  boat,  October, 
1863. 

One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Infantry. — Captain  James  G.  Staley, 
killed  in  action  at  Franklin,  Tenn.,  November  30,  1864  ;  First  Lieu- 
tenant W.  E.  Brown,  died  of  wounds  received  in  action,  March  11, 
1865 ;  Monroe  Burnett,  died  at  Salisbury,  N.  C,  September,  1863  ; 
Josiah  Hatfield,  died  at  Brookston,  Ind.,  April,  1864 ;  Thomas 
Hawkins,  died  at  J-^ffersonville,  Ind.,  April,  1864 ;  A.  S.  Hazen, 
died  at  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  August,  1864 ;  Samuel  A.  Hutchins, 
died  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  September,  1864 ;  Joseph  Karnes,  died 
at  Andersonville,  Ga.,  August,  1864;  John  S.  Layman,  died  in  An- 
dersonville Prison,  July,  1864 ;  Leslie  B.  Meeker,  died  at  Wol- 
cott's  Mills,  January,  1864 ;  James  Nichols,  died  at  Knoxville, 
August,  1864  ;  Daniel  Nichols,  died  at  Knoxville,  August,  1864 ;  John 
Price,  died  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  July,  1864  ;  Joshua  J.  Shields,  died  in 
Andersonville  Prison,  July,  1864  ;  Elijah  Tolberd,  died  at  Knoxville, 
Tenn.,  January,  1864 ;  John  Voris,  died  at  Nashville,  April,  1864. 

One  Hundred  and  Forty-second  Infantry. — Andrew  J.  Foutz,  died  at 
Nashville,  March,  1865 ;  Daniel  Shafer,  died  at  Nashville,  February, 
1865. 

One  Hundred  and  Fifty-first  Infantry. — Henry  C.  Davis,  died  at 
Nashville,  July,  1865 ;  Samuel  W.  Irvin,  died  at  Indianapolis,  March, 
1865. 

Tivelfth  Cavalry. — Robert  Beaver,  died  at  Murfreesboro,  January, 
1865 ;  Thomas    Gibson,  died    at    Mobile,    Ala.,    April,    1864 ;  Leonard 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  79 

Hastings,  died  at  Memphis,  September,  1865  ;  Robert  N.  Perfect,  died  at 
Kendallville,  Ind.,  March,  1864;  R.  Skinner,  died  at  Murfreesboro, 
March,  1865. 

Re-union  of  1881. — A  soldiers'  re-union  was  held  at  Monticello  on  the 
28th,  29th  and  30th  of  September,  1881,  on  which  occasion  not  less  than 
10,000  persons  were  present.  Ex-soldiers  were  there  from  all  the  neigh- 
boring counties,  and  even  from  quite  distant  points.  E.  R.  Brown,  of 
Winamac,  addressed  the  meeting  on  the  first  day,  and  Gen.  Manson  on 
the  second  day.  During  the  first  two  days,  the  time  was  passed  much 
after  the  fashion  while  in  actual  service,  camps  being  formed,  and  the 
boys  passing  the  hours  in  recounting  their  varied  experiences.  The  last 
day  was  the  day  of  the  re-union.  Military  evolutions  were  enjoyed  in 
the  forenoon,  and  in  the  afternoon  the  sham  battle  took  place.  'J'he  Un- 
ion forces  were  defeated.  It  was  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  times  ever 
passed  in  Monticello. 


CHAPTER  III. 


BY    WKSTON    A.    GOODSPEED. 


Union  Township — Early  Officers  and  Elections — The  Coming  of 
THE  Pioneers  —  Mt.  Walleston  —  Manufacuries  —  Mo.nticello 
Founded — Merchandising — Mills  and  Kindred  Industries — 
Present  Business  Men — Banking  —  Incorporations  —  Newspa- 
pers— Secret  Societies — Schools  and  Churches — Notes. 

"  The  olden  times  have  passed  away, 
And  in  the  clearing  by  the  wood, 
Fair  Architecture  builds  to-day 

Proud  mansions  where  the  cabin  stood. 
And  cities  lift  their  domes  and  spires 
Where  hunters  struck  their  Ion  camp-tires." 

—Sarah  T.  Bolton,  Avgttst,  1880. 

UNION  TOWNSHIP  was  created  at  the  first  session  of  the  court  of 
County  Commissioners  in  1834,  and  at  that  time  included  all  of 
White  County  west  of  the  Tippecanoe  River,  and  north  of  the  line  divid- 
ing Townships  25  and  26  north,  together  with  the  attached  territory, 
of  what  now  constitutes  the  counties  of  Newton  and  Jasper,  and  the 
western  portion  of  Pulaski.  This  large  township,  which  was  almost 
wholly  vininhabited,  remained  intact  until  the  erection  of  Monon  Town- 
ship in  January,  1836,  when  the  present  township  of  that  name  and  all 
the  attached  territory  on  the  north  and  northwest  were  given  a  separate 
organization.  Afterward,  as  will  be  seen  elsewhere  in  this  volume,  other 
territory  was  stricken  oft'  until  Union   took  its  present  size  and  shape. 


80  .  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

Early  Elections. — The  first  elections  held  in  Union  Township,  owing 
to  the  probable  fact  that  the  records  have  not  been  preserved,  cannot 
be  given  in  these  pages.  Such  returns  may  be  in  the  Clerk's  office,  but  if 
so,  they  have  been  misplaced.  An  act  of  the  State  Legislature  of  that 
day  permitted  the  citizens  of  a  county  to  vote  at  any  precinct  within  its 
limits,  though  no  correctional  provision  to  prevent  what  is  now  known  as 
"repeating"  seems  to  have  been  made.  Perhaps  our  fathers  were  so  hon- 
orable that  no  such  provision  was  necessary.  As  the  emoluments  of  office 
then  were  mainly  nominal,  there  seems  to  have  been  no  inducement  for 
corrupt  and  criminal  practices  in  the  election  of  public  servants.  It  is 
stated  that  the  elections  were  attended  principally  for  social  intercourse, 
and  that  officers  were  elected  more  as  a  matter  of  form,  or  as  a  measure  to 
anticipate  possible  duties,  than  as  a  necessity  for  the  public  good.  It  fre- 
quently happened  that  an  entire  term  of  office  would  expire  without  the 
commission  of  a  single  official  act.  It  was  a  common  thing  in  early  years 
for  officers  to  serve  with  the  understanding  that  the  compensation  for  so 
doing  should  be  the  settlement  of  their  tax.  Many  attended  elections 
solely  to  enjoy  a  holiday,  get  acquainted  with  their  neighbors,  swap  horses 
or  oxen,  shoot  at  a  mark  for  the  whisky,  or  some  other  reason  equally  as 
trivial.  It  remained  for  subsequent  years  to  develop  the  passion  for 
political  log-rolling — a  very  diiFerent  kind  of  log-rolling  from  that  prac- 
ticed by  the  old  settlers. 

On  the  day  of  the  creation  of  Union  Township  (July  19,  1834),  the 
County  Commissioners  appointed  the  following  officers  for  the  new  town- 
ship :  Peter  Price  and  Elias  Louther,  Overseers  of  the  Poor;  Samuel  Gray, 
Sr.,  and  James  Johnson,  Fence  Viewers  ;  William  Wilson,  Road  Super- 
visor. At  the  same  time,  an  election  of  one  Justice  of  the  Peace  was  or- 
dered held  on  the  first  Monday  of  the  following  August.  Joshua  Lind- 
sey  was  elected.  Melchi  Gray  became  Inspector  of  Elections  in  Union 
Township  in  May,  1835.  Nothing  further  of  the  elections  of  1835 
and  the  early  part  of  1836  can  be  given. 

Election  of  November,  1836. — At  the  Presidential  election  held  at 
Monticello,  November,  1836,  the  following  men  voted  .  Oliver  Ham- 
mond, John  Brady,  Salmon  Sherwood,  Thomas  R.  Dawson,  G.  R. 
Bartley,  William  Price,  Samuel  Shanahan,  James  Haight,  Melchi  Gray, 
W.  M.  Kenton,  Robert  Newell,  Isaac  N.  Parker,  Zebulon  Sheets,  Row- 
land Hughes,  John  Roberts,  Asa  Allen,  Philip  Davis,  James  Barnes, 
Stephen  Bunnell,  Peter  Price,  Jacob  Miser,  Zebulon  Dyer,  Ashford 
Parker,  M.  H.  Rayhill,  Patrick  Sullivan,  John  Ferguson,  John  Wilson, 
William  Kane,  Amos  Cooper,  John  L.  Stump,  Alexander  Redding, 
Joseph  Naylor,  Peter  Foust,  Andrew  Ferguson,  John  Beaver,  Lemuel 
Davis,  William  Reese,  Samuel  Gray,  M.  A.  Berkey,    James    Downey, 


Peter    Price. 

(deceased) 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  83 

Philip  Wolverton,  Anthony  Foust,  H.  L.  Gray,  Simon  Kenton,  Chris- 
ton  Carroll,  Thomas  Downey,  George  Stump,  Alexander  Nelson,  Sam- 
uel Hendson,  Lewis  Elson,  Hannibal  Parcel,  John  Killgore,  Lewis 
Dawson,  Joseph  Harr,  Thomas  Macklin,  Samuel  Beaver,  Daniel  Mur- 
ray, Levi  Wolverton,  George  Burgett,  John  Humes,  John  Cabler, 
Joshua  Rinker,  James  Parker,  John  McNeary,  Randolph  Brearley, 
Joseph  Skidmore,  Ranson  McConahay,  Robert  A.  Spencer,  Peter 
Martin,  Samuel  Smith,  John  Courtney,  William  Smith,  John  Reams, 
Thomas  Spencer,  David  Burkey,  John  Reese,  Benjamin  Watkins,  James 
K.  Wilson,  James  Gray,  Daniel  Phillips,  Daniel  Dale,  James  Johnson, 
Joshua  Lindsey,  Jeremiah  Fisher,  Jacob  Owens,  Isaac  Busey,  John  T. 
Busey,  Joshua  Rogers,  Robert  Scott,  William  Crigg,  Jonathan  Johnson, 
Charles  Wright,  Willis  Wright,  Joseph  Shafer,  Samuel  Rifenberrick, 
L.  S.  Rothrock,  John  Phillips,  John  Reynolds,  Jacob  Pitzer,  James 
Spencer,  Henry  Baum,  William  Sill,  John  Burns,  William  Donahue, 
Thomas  Holaday,  Silas  Goldsbury,  Archer  Dyer,  Adam  P.  Shigley, 
Levi  Johnson,  Jacob  Cowger. 

The  First  Settler. — It  is  probable  that  Peter  Price  was  the  first  perma- 
nent settler  in  what  is  now  Union  Township.  He  appeared  in  the  town- 
ship (or  rather  what  afterward  became  the  township)  in  1831,  and  erected 
a  small  log  cabin  on  the  old  homestead  just  west  of  Monticello.  Hun- 
dreds of  Indians  were  then  encamped  in  small  detachments  along  the  Tip- 
pecanoe River,  and  frequently  called  on  begging  expeditions  to  the  cabin. 
The  whole  country  was  extremely  wild.  Deer  were  seen  every  day. 
Wolves  ran  over  the  prairies  in  search  of  prey.  There  seemed  to  be  twice 
as  much  water  as  at  present.  Tippecanoe  River  was  much  larger  than 
now,  and  contained  five  times  as  many  fish.  The  most  noticeable  feature, 
however,  was  the  almost  entire  absence  of  white  people.  George  Barkely 
came  soon  after  Peter  Price,  and  then,  as  nearly  as  can  be  learned,  the 
Rothrocks,  Zebulon  Sheets,  the  Cowgers  and  others  came,  though  this 
was  two  or  three  years  later.  During  the  years  1834  and  1835,  many 
came  in,  generally  selecting  the  land  along  the  river,  because  of  its  free- 
dom from  standing  water  and  because  of  the  presence  of  timber.  The 
water-power  of  the  river  also  attracted  attention.  The  Tippecanoe  (al- 
ways a  beautiful  river)  was  declared  navigable,  and  pirogues  and  large 
rafts  of  logs  were  often  seen  floating  on  its  limpid  waters. 

The  Norwegians. — At  a  very  early  day,  there  came  to  the  vicinity 
of  Monticello  two  Norwegians  named  respectively  Hans  Erasmus 
Hiorth  (pronounced  Yert)  and  Peter  B.  Smith.  According  to  tradition, 
they  had  been  sailors  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  in  a  vessel  owned  by  the 
father  of  one  of  them,  and  had  been  intrusted  with  a  cargo  of  some  kind 
destined  for  New  Orleans.     Upon  their  arrival   there,  so  says  tradition, 


84  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

they  not  only  disposed  of  the  cargo,  but  of  the  vessel  also,  and  with  the 
proceeds  of  the  sale  came  into  the  Northern  States  to  invest  in  land  and 
found  homes.  Both  men  were  adventurous  and  daring,  as  sailors  always 
are,  and  possessed  a  capacity  for  business  wMch  soon  placed  them  on  a 
firm  financial  foundation.  Hiorth  seemed  to  possess  the  greater  amount 
of  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  vessel  and  cargo,  and  bought  about  one 
thousand  acres  of  the  choicest  land  in  the  county  at  that  time,  paying  the 
Government  price  of  |1.25  per  acre.  This  land  was  located  mostly 
at  what  afterward  became  Norway,  or  rather  Mount  Walleston.  In 
1832  or  1833,  Mr.  Hiorth  constructed  a  dam  across  the  river  on  Section 
21,  Township  27  north,  Range  3  west,  and  erected  a  saw  mill.  His 
partner  was  Mr.  Smith  (said  not  to  have  been  his  real  name).  Nothing 
further  seemed  to  have  been  done  there  until  April,  1843,  when  Hiorth 
leased  to  William  Sill,  of  Monticello,  all  the  water-power  of  the  dam  at 
Norway,  except  enough  to  operate  the  saw  mill,  together  with  surround- 
ing land,  not  to  exceed  three  acres,  and  also  conditioned  that  if  the  dam 
broke,  it  should  be  mended  immediately  at  Hiorth's  expense,  and  Sill  was 
to  pay  |150  per  annum  for  ten  years  for  these  considerations.  Sill  was 
to  help  gravel  the  dam,  to  erect  such  buildings  as  he  chose,  to  commence 
the  following  October,  or  sooner,  if  the  power  could  be  used,  and  Hiorth, 
at  the  end  of  ten  years  of  the  lease,  was  to  either  take  the  property  at  a 
fair  estimate,  or  renew  the  lease.  In  September,  1843,  Sill  was  given 
power  to  sublet  portions  of  the  water-power  under  specified  conditions, 
one  of  them  being  that  he  nor  any  sub-lessee  should  erect  a  saw  mill. 
In  September,  1843,  Hiorth  leased  for  nine  years  his  saw  mill  and  the 
water-power  he  had  reserved  for  its  operation  to  Martin  Cherrie,  to- 
gether with  specified  portions  of  land  there  for  a  log  yard,  also  a 
log  dwelling ;  and  Cherrie.  agreed  to  build  a  new  saw  mill,  taking  what 
he  could  use  of  the  machinery  of  Hiorth's  old  one.  At  the  same  time. 
Sill  sub- leased,  for  nine  years,  to  Cherrie  sufiicient  water-power  to  propel 
a  carding  and  fulling  mill,  and  a  small  piece  of  land  for  a  dyeing  yard, 
the  consideration  being  ^75  per  year.  In  1844,  Sill  began  the  erection 
of  his  merchant  grist  mill  at  Norway,  completing  the  work  in  1845,  and 
setting  the  mill  in  motion.  This  mill  remained  for  years  the  finest  for 
miles  around,  and  received  a  most  excellent  patronage,  and  was  the  means 
of  inducing  many  settlers  to  come  to  the  vicinity  to  locate  permanently. 
Carding  of  Wool. — In  January,  1845,  Cherrie  entered  into  contract 
with  Arthur  Russell  to  erect  a  building  32x25  feet  at  Norway,  to  do  all 
millwright  work  necessary  for  wool-carding  and  cloth-dressing,  and  to 
have  the  building  ready  by  the  1st  of  October,  1845;  and  he  fuither 
agreed  to  erect  another  building,  28x18  feet,  and  to  have  it  ready  by  the 
1st  of  May,  1845,  and  he  agreed  to  furnish,  at  all  times,  sufficient  water 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  85 

power  for  propelling  the  carding  and  fulling  machinery.  Russell  agreed 
to  furnish  a  carding  machine,  a  picking  machine,  and  all  implements  nec- 
essary for  wool-carding  and  cloth-dressing,  and  was  to  have  superintend- 
ence of  the  mill  for  nine  years,  was  to  employ  all  help,  and  was  to  receive, 
annually,  out  of  the  profits  of  the  shops,  $280.  This  contract  between 
Cherrie  and  Russell  was  canceled  in  December,  1815,  but  not  until  after 
most  of  the  conditions  had  been  complied  with,  and  the  carding  mill  had 
been  set  in  operation. 

Norway^  or  Mt.  Walleston. — About  the  year  1815,  Mr.  Hiorth  died, 
and  in  1846,  his  widow,  Bergetta  Hiortli,  married  a  Norwegian  acquaint- 
ance named  Glaus  Lauritz  Clausen,  who  lived  in  Rock  County,  Wisconsin 
Territory.  In  February,  1848,  all  the  land  in  White  County,  formerly 
owned  by  Mr.  Hiorth,  consisting  of  963  acres,  was  sold  to  C.  W,  &  R. 
C.  Kendall,  for  $6,100,  and  the  Clausens  went  to  Wisconsin  Territory  to 
live.  The  land  was  sold  at  a  considerable  sacrifice,  though  subject  to  all 
the  claims  of  renters,  lessees,  etc.  Before  this  sale,  however,  or  in  March, 
1845,  Bergetta  Hiorth  employed  John  Armstrong,  surveyor,  and  laid  out 
ninety-six  lots  on  the  northwest  fraction  of  Section  21,  Township  27 
north,  Range  3  west,  and  named  the  village  thus  founded  Mount  Wal- 
leston. The  old  plat  shows  Hiorth,  Washington  and  Franklin  streets, 
running  east  and  west,  and  Frances,  Broadway,  Norway  and  Hill  running 
north  and  south.  Before  this,  however,  a  small  store  had  been  opened  at 
the  village  by  Casad  &  Guthridge,  it  is  said,  though  this  may  be  a  mis- 
take. As  soon  as  the  grist  mill  and  the  carding  mill  were  built  and  the 
town  was  laid  out,  the  sale  of  lots  and  the  erection  of  houses  were  begun. 
At  this  time,  and  for  a  few  years  later.  Mount  Walleston  rivaled  Monti- 
cello  in  enterprise  and  population.  Blacksmiths  and  carpenters  appeared, 
and  the  various  mills  were  actively  operated.  Lumber  was  kept  for  sale ; 
large  quantities  of  excellent  flour  were  shipped  to  distant  points,  and 
farmers  came  from  scores  of  miles  around  to  have  their  wool  carded  and 
afterward  fulled.  The  Kendalls  conducted  a  store  there  ;  a  ferry-boat 
was  kept  for  the  passage  of  men  and  teams  across  the  river,  and  a  post 
oflSce  was  established. 

Mills. — In  September,  1848,  the  Kendalls  leased  to  G.  B.  Woltz  and 
Arthur  Russell,  ow^ners  and  operators  of  the  woolen  factory,  thirty-seven 
additional  inches  of  water,  to  be  used  in  propelling  a  considerable  increase 
in  machinery  in  the  mill.  For  this  water,  the  owners  of  the  woolen  mill 
were  to  pay  $35  annually.  Up  to  this  time,  only  two  sets  of  buhrs  Ivid 
been  used  in  the  grist  mill,  but  now  a  third  set  was  adiled,  and  the  capacity 
of  the  mill  increased  in  other  respects.  Notwithstanding  all  the  push 
and  enterprise  at  Norway,  the  village  was  destined  to  grow  but  little 
larger  than  it  was  in  1850.     During  the  '50's  it  remained   about   the 


86  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

same.  Prior  to  1857,  no  bridge  had  spanned  the  river  at  that  point; 
but  at  that  date  the  Norway  Bridge  Company  was  formed  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $1,500,  to  be  raised  to  |2,000,  if  necessary.  Forty-four  of  the  cit- 
izens living  in  the  vicinity  took  stock  in  the  enterprise,  J.  S.  Casad  taking 
twenty-four  shares  at  $25  each.  The  bridge  was  immediately  built,  but  in 
1866  was  swept  away  by  a  freshet,  and  the  ferry  was  again  brought  into 
use.     Toll  was  collected  for  passage  across  the  bridge. 

Joseph  Rothrock  built  a  "brush  dam"  across  the  Tippecanoe  River, 
just  below  Monticello,  as  early,  it  is  stated,  as  1838.  He  erected  a 
small  saw  mill,  but  for  some  reason  did  little  work  with  his  mill — prob- 
ably owing  to  the  fact  that  his  dam  was  rather  a  poor  concern.  Daniel 
M.  Tilton  obtained  some  sort  of  an  interest  there,  and  in  about  the  year 
1840  erected  a  small  carding  mill.  A  short  time  afterward  the  carding 
mill  caught  fire  and  burned  to  the  ground,  although  the  citizens  of  the 
town  were  on  hand  promptly  with  buckets  and  ladders.  The  saw  mill 
was  saved,  though  standing  against  the  woolen  mill. 

MONTICELLO, 

Section  S3,  Township  27  north.  Range  3  west,  upon  which  stands 
the  town  of  Monticello,  was  entered  at  Crawfordsville  as  follows  : 

Peter  Price,  80  acres,  June  13,  1831 ;  west  half  of  the  southwest 
quarter. 

George  Barkely,  80  acres,  June  13,  1831 ;  east  half  of  the  southeast 
quarter. 

George  Barkely,  78.68  acres,  June  7,  1833 ;  south  part  of  the  south- 
west quarter. 

Robert  Rothrock,  59.17  acres,  September  6,  1834  ;  south  half  of  the 
northeast  quarter. 

Robert  Rothrock,  51.05  acres,  September  6,  1834 ;  north  half  of  the 
southeast  quarter. 

Zebulon  Sheets,  36.36  acres,  November  1,  1834;  east  fraction. 

Samuel  Rifenberrick,  80  acres,  November  22,  1834 ;  south  half  of 
the  northwest  quarter. 

Robert  Armstrong,  62.70  acres,  March  11,  1835;  north  half  of  the 
northeast  quarter. 

Peter  Martin,  40  acres,  August  25,  1835;  northeast  quarter  of  the 
northwest  quarter. 

Peter  Martin,  40  acres,  January  20,  1836 ;  northwest  quarter  of  the 
northwest  quarter. 

Monticello,  named  by  the  Commissioners  appointed  by  the  Legisla- 
ture to  locate  the  county  seat,  for  the  home  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  was  laid 
out  on  the  3d  of  November,  1834,  under  the  supervision  of  John  Barr, 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  87 

County  Agent.  He  was  assisted  by  Asa  Allen,  Melchi  Gray,  Joshua 
Lindsey,  and  others,  and  laid  off  ninety-two  lots,  exclusive  of  the  public 
square,  near  the  center  of  the  southwest  fraction  of  the  northeast  quarter 
of  Section  33,  Township  27  north.  Range  3  west,  or  on  land  that  had 
been  entered  by  Robert  Rothrock. 

Three  of  the  Commissionerss  appointed  to  located  the  county  seat — 
John  Killgore,  John  B.  King  and  James  H.  Stewart — met  on  Monday, 
September  1,  1834,  and  after  viewing  various  ambitious  locations,  one  of 
which  was  in  Big  Creek  Township,  completed  their  labors  on  Friday,  the 
5th  of  September,  and  made  their  report  which  may  be  seen  elsewhere 
in  this  volume.  At  this  time,  the  land  upon  which  the  county  seat  was 
located  had  not  yet  been  entered,  or  in  other  words  was  yet  the  property  of 
the  United  States.  The  land  was  selected  because  it  seemed  the  most  eligi- 
ble site  near  the  center  of  the  county,  and  for  the  further  reason  that  whereas 
other  points  wishing  the  location  were  somewhat  exacting  regarding  the  do- 
nations to  be  made,  it  became  clear  to  the  Locating  Commissioners,  from 
an  offer  they  received  from  John  Barr,  Sr.,  Hans  E.  Hiorth  and  John 
Rothrock,  that  the  new  county  would  be  far  better  off  financially,  if  the 
county  seat  was  fixed  at  Monticello;  of  course  there  was  not  a  house  then 
standing  on  the  present  site  of  the  town.  The  offer  made  by  Barr,  Hiorth 
and  John  Rothrock  to  the  Locating  Commissioners  was  that  if  the  latter 
would  agree  to  locate  the  county  seat  at  Monticello,  on  land  which  yet  be- 
longed to  the  Government,  the  former  would  proceed  to  La  Porte  and 
enter  the  land  and  donate  the  entire  eighty  acres,  upon  which  the  town  was 
to  be  located,  with  reservation,  to  the  county.  This  offer  was  accepted 
by  the  Commissioners.  But  the  land  instead  of  being  entered  by  these 
three  men  was  really  entered  by  Robert  Rothrock.  The  following  bond 
explains  the  situation  : 

Know  all  men  by  those  presents,  that  I,  Robert  Bothrock,  acknowledge  myself 
^0  owe  and  to  be  indebted  to  John  Barr,  H.  E.  Hiorth  and  John  Rothrock  in  the  sum 
of  |1,000.  good  and  lawful  money  of  the  United  States,  to  the  payment  of  which  I 
bind  myself,  my  heirs,  administrators  and  executors  firmly  by  these  presents,  signed 
and  sealed  this  10th  day  of  September,  A.  D.  1834. 

The  conditionof  the  above  obligation  is  such,  that,  whereas,  the  aforesaid  John 
Barr,  H.  E.  Hiorth  and  John  Rothrock  having  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  said 
Robert  Rothrock  the  sum  of  .|  137. 77^  for  the  purpose  of  entering  at  the  La  Porte 
Land  Office  the  following  fractional  lots,  to  wit :  the  south  half  of  the  northeast 
quarter  and  the  north  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  Section  33,  Township  27 
north.  Range  8  west,  containing  in  all  110  22-100  acres,  which  lots  were  purchased 
for  the  purpose  of  a  county  seat  in  White  County.  Now,  if  the  said  Robert  Both- 
rock  shall  make  to  the  said  John  Barr,  II.  E.  Hiorth  and  John  Rothrock  good  and 
sufficient  title  in  fee  simple,  then  the  above  obligation  to  be  null  and  void  ;  other- 
wise to  remain  in  full  force  and  virtue  ;  the  above  deeds  or  titles  to  be  made  as  soon 
as  the  patent  can  be  obtained  from  the  Government. 

Attest,  RoBEUT  RocKRocK.     [Seal.] 

Joshua  Lindsey, 

Peter  B.  Smith. 


88  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

Tradition  says  that  Robert  Rothrock  coveted  the  distinction  of  having 
entered  the  land  where  the  county  seat  was  located,  and  to  humor  this 
ambition  the  three  men  furnished  him  the  money,  taking  his  bond  as 
above.  The  county  seat  was  located,  then,  by  the  5th  of  September, 
and  on  the  6th,  as  shown  by  the  tract  book,  Robert  Rothrock  entered  the 
land  at  La  Porte ;  but  the  above  bond  was  signed  and  sealed  on  the  10th 
of  September,  four  days  after  the  land  had  been  entered.  In  other 
words,  Robert  Rothrock  entered  the  land  four  days  before  his  bond  was 
signed,  and  was  therefore  intrusted  with  the  money  before  he  had  ob- 
ligated himself  to  transfer  the  land  to  the  proper  owners,  Barr,  Hiorth 
and  John  Rothrock.  The  title  actually  passed  from  Robert  Rothrock  to 
these  three  men,  or  rather  directly  to  the  County  Agent,  the  three  men 
quit-claiming  their  title. 

First  Plat. — As  stated  above,  Monticello  was  laid  out  on  the  3d  of 
November,  1834,  and  on  the  7th,  in  pursuance  of  an  order  of  the  County 
Commissioner,  a  public  sale  of  the  lots  took  place,  Melchi  Gray  officiat- 
ing as  auctioneer  or  crier  and  Joshua  Lindsey  serving  as  clerk  of  the 
sale.  The  detailed  results  of  this  sale  cannot  be  given.  The  old  plat 
was  bounded  on  the  north  by  Marion  street,  east  by  Tippecanoe,  south 
by  JeflFerson  and  west  by  Illinois.  On  the  6th  of  March,  1837,  the  title 
to  the  land  not  having  yet  passed  from  Robert  Rothrock  to  Barr,  Hiorth 
and  John  Rothrock,  the  former  conveyed  the  following  tract  of  land  to 
John  Barr,  County  Agent,  and  his  successors  in  office  :  Beginning  at  a 
point  where  the  west  line  of  Illinois  street  in  the  said  town  of  Monticello 
running  north  as  the  town  plat  of  the  said  town  is  laid  out  would  inter- 
sect the  north  line  of  the  southwest  fraction  of  the  northeast  quarter  of 
Section  33,  Township  27  north.  Range  3  west,  thence  east  with  the 
north  line  of  said  fraction  to  the  Tippecanoe  River,  thence  with  the 
meanderings  of  the  said  river  to  the  south  line  of  the  northwest  fraction 
of  the  southeast  quarter  of  Section  33,  Township  27  north,  Range  3 
west,  thence  with  the  south  line  of  said  last  mentioned  fraction  west  to  a 
point  where  the  west  line  of  said  Illinois  street  aforesaid  extended  south 
would  intersect  said  last  mentionned  line,  thence  north  with  the  west  line  of 
said  Illinois  street,  extended  as  aforesaid  to  the  place  of  beginning.  The 
conveyance  was  made  upon  the  express  condition  that  the  county  seat 
should  forever  remain  located  upon  the  land.  Appended  to  this  document 
was  a  quit  claim  of  all  the  rights,  titles  and  interests  of  Barr,  Hiorth 
and  John  Rothrock  in  the  land,  conditioned  that  the  land  should  forever 
remain  the  site  of  the  county  seat.  In  view  of  these  conditional  trans- 
fers, and  the  lapse  of  time  and  the  growth  of  public  institutions  and  in- 
terests, the  difficulty  of  removing  the  county  seat  to  some  other  point  in 
White  County  becomes  at  once  apparent. 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  89 

The  First  Buildings. — Monticello  was  laid  out  so  late  in  the  fall  of 
1834  that  it  is  probable  that  no  attempt  was  made  to  construct  buildings 
until  early  the  following  spring.  Two  buildings  were  erected  about  the 
same  time — an  office  for  William  Sill,  County  Clerk,  Auditor  and  Re- 
corder, and  a  small  combined  store  building  and  dwelling  for  Henry 
Orwig,  of  Delphi,  who  had  purchased  a  lot  or  more  in  the  town  at  the 
public  sale  the  preceding  fall.  In  May,  1835,  Orwig  began  to  sell  from 
a  small  stock  of  goods,  consisting  of  a  general  assortment  worth  $500.  It 
was  necessary,  at  this  time  and  for  many  years  afterward,  for  merchants 
to  obtain  a  license  to  sell  goods  ;  but  Orwig  did  not  obtain  his  license 
until  the  following  autumn.  The  town  began  to  grow  rapidly.  Carpen- 
ters, blacksmiths,  doctors,  merchants,  minister,  lawyers,  speculators  and 
mechanics  of  all  trades  began  to  appear,  and  the  erection  of  dwellings  and 
shops,  both  log  and  frame,  soon  established  the  principal  streets.  The 
energy  of  the  place  was  even  more  pronounced  during  the  year  1836 
than  during  1835.  Rowland  Hughes  opened  his  tavern  in  May,  1836, 
paying  $5  for  the  license.  Parcel  &  Nicholson  opened  with  a  general 
stock  of  goods  about  the  same  time.  The  exact  value  of  any  of  the 
early  stocks  of  goods  cannot  be  given  ;  but  none  exceeded  |1,000,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  licenses  which  are  yet  in  existence.  These  men  paid  $10 
for  their  license,  as  did  also  Ford,  Walker  &  Co.,  who  began  about  the 
same  time — May,  1836.  Rowland  Hughes  soon  obtained  license  to  sell 
whisky,  and  thus  laid  the  foundation  for  all  the  subsequent  years  of 
traffic  in  that  infernal  liquid.  The  distinction  is  not  to  be  envied.  Pat- 
rick Sullivan  soon  opened  up  with  whisky,  and  was  afterward  indicted 
one  or  more  times  for  selling  whisky  to  the  Indians,  in  violation  of  the 
law.  It  was  nothing  unusual  then  to  see  Indians  come  into  town,  some- 
times on  ponies,  and  to  see  them  enter  the  shops  to  buy  goods,  trade 
beads  and  trinkets  for  the  articles  they  coveted,  or  to  get  drunk  on  "  co- 
cooshy."  It  is  stated  that  several  years  later,  when  Monticello  was  quite 
a  town,  and  the  citizens  were  much  prouder,  two  or  three  deer  were  seen 
lying  near  a  large  stone  and  a  patch  of  hazel  brush,  just  north  of  where 
the  post  office  now  is,  as  late  as  8  or  9  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
They  had  enjoyed  their  night's  rest  with  no  one  to  molest  or  make  them 
afraid,  and  even  the  appearance  of  the  day  brought  no  disturbers.  It  is 
possible  that  the  citizens  had  become  so  proud  and  fashionable  that  they 
had  assumed  city  airs,  and  had  not  yet  arisen.  Or  perhaps  they  were  so 
few  and  made  so  little  noise  that  the  deer  were  not  scared.  The  fact 
remains  that  the  deer  did  not  leave  their  grassy  couch  until  about  8  or 
9  o'clock. 

Industries. — In  September,  1S36,  the  County  Commissioners  issued 
orders   to  have   a   large  pond  on  Main  street  filled  with  logs  and  gravel. 


90  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

These  old  timbers  will  be  taken  out  as  sound  as  ever  one  of  these  days. 
William  Sill  began  selling  from  a  general  stock  in  1836,  as  did  also 
Reynolds  &  Cassel.  In  November,  1836,  Monticello  presented  about 
the  following  appearance  :  William  Sill  and  Peter  Martin,  variety  mer- 
chants ;  James  Parker,  Sheriff;  Jonathan  Harbolt,  carpenter;  Rowland 
Hughes,  tavern  keeper  and  whisky  seller  ;  Dr.  Samuel  Rifenberrick,  gen- 
eral merchandise ;  Reynolds  &  Cassel,  general  merchandise;  Mr.  Perces, 
grocer;  James  McKinley,  carpenter  ;  T.  R.  Dawson,  carpenter ;  Chris- 
tian Dasher,  carpenter ;  G.  R.  Bartley,  farmer ;  John  Ream,  farmer  ; 
Joseph  Skidmore,  blacksmith  ;  Thompson  Crose,  blacksmith;  Rev.  Joshua 
Lindsey,  minister.  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Postmaster  ;  D.  M.  Tilton,  tailor 
and  Deputy  Postmaster;  Jacob  Meyers,  tailor;  Jacob  Thomas,  shoe-maker; 
Asa  Allen,  Surveyor;  Widow  Bott;  Widow  Reese  ;  Robert  Spencer,  car- 
penter ;  John  Hanawalt,  carpenter ;  Jacob  Franklin  cabinet-maker  ;  Will- 
iam Brock,  plasterer  and  cabinet-maker;  Nathaniel  White,  farmer  ;  John 
Dicker ;  Oliver  Hammon,  small  store ;  Salmon  Sherwood,  carpenter ; 
Abraham  Snyder,  tanner.  There  were,  perhaps,  a  few  others  in  town. 
The  population  at  that  time  was  about  one  hundred.  There  was  a  small 
frame  schoolhouse  standing,  also  a  small  frame  court  house.  Mr. 
Heckendorn  says  that  Robert  Spencer  was  employed  to  erect  the  court 
house,  which  he  did ;  but  a  heavy  storm  blew  it  down,  and  so  demolished 
it  that  Jonathan  Harbolt  was  hired  to  build  another,  which  he  accord- 
ingly did,  the  house  being  the  one  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Switzer  as  a 
wagon  shop. 

In  May,  1837,  Peter  Martin  was  licensed  to  conduct  a  ferry  across 
the  river  at  Monticello,  and  was  required  to  keep  a  boat  large  enough 
for  teams  and  a  smaller  boat  or  canoe  for  persons.  In  May,  1838,  Peter 
B.  Smith  opened  a  store  of  general  merchandise.  The  County  Commis- 
sioners in  November,  1838,  appointed  Zebulon  Sheets,  John  Ream  and 
William  Sill,  Trustees  to  receive  the  title  to  the  graveyard  north  of  town, 
and  the  sum  of  $30  was  appropriated  out  of  the  County  Treasury  to  be 
expended  upon  the  ground.  Reynolds  k  Cassel  went  out  of  business  in 
1889 ;  but  Sill,  Hughes,  Ford,  Walker  &  Co.,  Melchi  Gray,  P.  B. 
Smith,  Rifenberrick  &  Brearley  were  yet  plying  their  crafts,  the  others 
mentioned  having  retired  from  business.  Jacob  Beck  opened  a  tavern  in 
September,  1839,  and  John  Brady  the  same  in  1840.  Hiorth  had  an 
interest  in  the  store  of  P.  B,  Smith.  Kendall  &  Bro.  were  in  business 
in  November,  1840.  Jacob  Beck  was  the  County  Census  Taker  in  1840. 
Isaac  Reynolds  conducted  a  store  in  1842.  In  1841,  Richard  Tilton 
made  twenty-four  chairs  for  the  court  house,  receiving  $19  for  the  job. 
In  March,  1843,  James  A.  Clark  became  ferryman  at  Monticello.  J.  C. 
Merrian  &  Co.  opened   a  store  in  1844.     During  all  the  years  up  to  this 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  91 

time,  it  was  a  common  thing  in  the  colder  months  to  see  deer  hanging  on 
the  streets,  or  in  wagons  en  route  for  Delphi,  Logansport,  La  Fayette,  or 
Michigan  City.  A  deer-skin  was  worth  from  $1  to  $3.  A  great  price 
was  paid  for  the  scalps  of  wolves,  as  an  inducement  to  the  settlers  to  make 
extra  effort  to  rid  the  county  of  these  marauding  creatures.  It  was  a 
common  tale  to  hear  of  the  destruction  of  some  fine  flock  of  sheep,  and  to 
hear  some  irate  owner  using  emphatic  language  not  prescribed  in  the  dec- 
alogue, and  highly  expressive  of  anger  and  disapprobation. 

Industries,  continued. — In  about  1845-46,  Sill,  Hughes,  Merrian  & 
Co.,  C.  W.  Kendall,  Reynolds,  Rifenberrick  &  Brearley,  Andrew 
Sproule,  William  Sheets  k  Co.,  and  perhaps  a  few  others  were  conduct- 
ing stores  at  the  county  seat.  Reynolds  and  Merrian  became  partners  in 
1846.  In  December  of  this  year,  John  R.  Willey  and  William  Wolf 
took  charge  of  the  ferry  at  Monticello.  The  Kendall  Brothers  owned  a 
fine  large  store  of  general  merchandise  in  1848.  Sheets  k  Co.  had 
greatly  increased  their  stock  by  1849.  James  L.  Pauley  took  the  ferry 
in  June,  1851.  At  this  time  there  was  extensive  travel  across  the  river 
and  the  ferryman  realized  no  little  from  the  general  prosperity.  A 
newspaper  had  been  started  in  1849,  and  the  great  water-power  had  been 
developed  by  an  incorporated  company  of  the  citizens,  and  the  manu- 
facturing enterprises  had  just  been  started  with  immense  and  rapidly  in- 
creasing patronage  and  usefulness.  Monticello  at  this  time  was  a  lively 
place.  Strangers  with  money  to  invest  thronged  its  streets  ;  artisans  and 
mechanics  flocked  in  and  erected  shops ;  merchants  doubled  their  stocks 
of  goods ;  secret  societies  were  founded  ;  large  quantities  of  wool  and 
grain  sought  the  mills  ;  schools  and  churches  multiplied  in  number  and 
usefulness,  and  all  interests,  both  public  and  private,  expanded  with  the 
activity  of  the  times.  The  previous  sluggish  currents  of  commerce  were 
changed  into  torrents  by  the  floods  of  wild-cat  bank  issues  that  were 
literally  rained  down  upon  the  channels  of  trade.  Notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  the  actual  value  of  private  bank  paper  was  usually  unknown, 
the  knowledge  of  its  cheapness  and  its  doubtful  value  served  to  float  it 
more  swiftly  through  commercial  channels,  as  all  holders  of  it  feared  its 
becoming  worthless  on  their  hands.  Under  the  pressure  of  all  this  growth, 
the  town  was  incorporated,  and  the  citizens  carried  their  heads  at  a 
prouder  angle.  In  addition  to  all  this,  there  was  talk  of  a  railroad  !  The 
New  Albany  &  Salem  Railroad  was  to  be  built^  and  rumor  extended  the 
track  through  Monticello,  and  fancy  already  saw  the  iron  horse.  The 
County  Commissioners  voted  to  assist  the  enterprise.  But  the  county 
seat  was  doomed  to  grievous  disappointment.  The  citizens  could  scarcely 
believe  that  the  road  was  to  pass  so  near  them  and  yet  so  far.  To  add 
to  the  general  distress,  Reynolds  sprang  into  active  life,  and  soon  laid 


92  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

claims  for  the  county  seat.  But  this  was  not  to  be.  The  development  of 
the  conditions  fixing  the  seat  Ijy  justice  at  Monticello  soon  quieted  all 
serious  apprehensions,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  matter  is  forever 
at  rest. 

Later  Merchants  and  Business  Men. — It  is  not  within  the  scope  of 
a  work  of  this  character  to  enter  into  all  the  details  of  merchandising  at 
Monticello,  even  if  it  were  possible  to  do  so,  which  it  is  not.  In  about 
1852,  J.  &  D.  K.  Ream  opened  a  store,  as  did  also  Lovejoy  &  Rey- 
nolds. Harbolt  &  Hartman,  who  had  been  in  the  furniture  business  for 
years  on  a  small  scale,  enlarged  their  operations,  and  their  shop  became  a 
prominent  factor  of  the  business  enterprises  of  the  place.  They  furnished 
coffins  for  a  large  section  of  country.  Sheets  &  Braden  were  merchants 
about  1855.  Hogland  &  Russell  began  selling  flannels,  satinets,  etc., 
about  this  time,  or  soon  afterward.  Among  the  business  establishments, 
etc.,  in  1859-62,  were  the  following  :  James  E.  Ballard,  drugs;  Drs.  R. 
Spencer  &  Son,  drugs;  Reich  &  Son,  marble  dealers;  H.  C.  Kirk,  mar- 
ble dealer ;  W.  B.  Keefer,  merchant  tailor ;  John  C.  Brown,  boot  and 
shoe  manufacturer;  W.  A.  Parry,  grocer;  W.  H.  Parcels,  blacksmith  ; 
Samuel  Cooper,  barber ;  George  Bowman,  Professor  of  Public  School ; 
Faling  &  Anderson,  groceries  and  drugs;  Richard  Brown,  stoves  and  tin- 
ware ;  J.  &  J.  C.  Reynolds,  dry  goods ;  W.  W.  Willey,  wagon  factory ;  E. 
J.  C.  Hilderbrand,  wagon  and  plow  factory;  Jesse  Kilgore,  meat  market; 
Kilgore  &  Shepard,  merchandise ;  N.  C.  Pettit,  grocery  and  bakery  ; 
Robert  Tinsdale,  grocery ;  M.  A.  Berkey,  grocery ;  C.  C.  Loomis,  dry 
goods  ;  N.  Hetherington,  saddle  and  harness  shop ;  Van  Voorst  Hotel ; 
Monticello  House,  by  E.  Hill;  D.  M.  Tilton,  real  estate;  Jennings  & 
Stockdill,  manufacturers  of  wagons,  harrows,  plows,  cultivators,  corn 
planters,  carts,  wheelbarrows,  etc. ;  R.  Voorhies  and  L.  Trenary,  milliners 
and  dress-makers  ;  W.  H.  Collins,  jeweler  ;  Andrew  Jackson,  grocery  ; 
W.  A.  Underbill,  miller ;  George  Inman,  bakery ;  Morgan  &  Fairman, 
marble  shop;  Edward  Neff,  jeweler;  Monticello  Sax-Horn  Band;  C. 
W.  Kendall,  dry  goods;  Hogland  &  Ayers,  woolen  factory;  F.  H.  Keif- 
haber,  plow  factory ;  Kingsbury  &  Lynch,  successors  to  Hogland  & 
Ayers,  woolen  factory  ;  Benjamin  Spencer,  photographer  ;  J.  C.  Rey- 
nolds, brick  kiln  ;  and  many  others  who  did  not  advertise,  and  therefore 
their  names  cannot  be  given.  During  this  period  (1859-62),  the  town 
received  another  impulse  that  multiplied  every  department  of  business. 
The  Logansport,  Peoria  &  Burlington  Railroad  was  projected  and  com- 
pleted through  the  county  from  east  to  west,  and  a  station  was  located  at 
Monticello.  This  no  sooner  became  a  certainty  than  the  "boom"  of  1849 
-53  was  repeated,  only  on  a  grander  scale.  The  population  of  the  town 
almost  doubled,  and  buildings  of  all  descriptions  went  up  to  accommodate 


UNION   TOWNSHIP.  93 

the  increase.  The  village  was  incorporated,  and  an  extensive  system  of 
labor  was  begun  to  properly  drain  and  grade  the  streets,  and  to  provide 
suitable  sidewalks.  Stock  was  restrained  from  running  at  large,  and  the 
evidence  that  there  was  such  a  body  as  "The  City  Fathers"  became  ap- 
parent. It  was  about  this  time,  also,  that  certain  men  of  wealth  living  in 
the  town  made  themselves  disagreeably  conspicuous  by  a  fawning  refusal 
to  assist  in  various  public  enterprises  that  were  projected  ;  and  even  when 
capitalists  appeared  ready  to  invest  in  some  creditable  pursuit  that  would 
greatly  enhance  the  value  of  real  estate  and  property  of  all  kinds,  not  a 
foot  of  land  was  sold  them,  and  they  were  permitted  to  depart  with  pesti- 
lential stories  of  Monticello.  The  march  of  improvement  went 
on,  however,  despite  these  dogs  in  the  manger,  and  has  con- 
tinued with  somewhat  lessened  vigor  until  the  present.  The  comple- 
tion of  the  Indianapolis,  Delphi  &  Chicago  Railroad  a  few  years  ago  gave 
increased  growth  to  the  town.  Monticello  is  now  well  supplied  with  ship- 
ping facilities.  Large  quantities  of  grain  and  great  numbers  of  live  stock 
are  shipped  annually  to  distant  points. 

Present  Business  Interests. — The  present  business  interests  of  Monti- 
cello may  be  summed  up  as  follows:  Dry  goods,  McCollum  &  Turner, 
R.  Hughes,  W.  R.  Kendall,  Snyder  &  Snyder,  J.  M.  Jost ;  grocer- 
ies, N.  C.  Pettit,  E.  Bennett  &  Sons,  H.  P.  Bennett,  T.  Bennett  & 
Brother,  D.  0.  Spencer  &  Son,  W.  Jost  &  Brother,  Davis  Brothers, 
Joseph  Young,  Robert  Tinsdale;  hardware,  Roberts  &  Vinson,  I. 
Nordyke  &  Son,  Robert  Van  Voorst ;  drugs,  John  McConnell,  William 
Spencer;  jewelry,  T.  J.  Woltz,  J.  S.  Wigmore,  McCollum  &  Turner; 
restaurants,  J.  H.  Burns,  R.  Pettit ;  furniture,  A.  W.  Loughry  & 
Co.;  milliners.  Miss  Hannah  Casey,  Mrs.  Dunfrey,  Mrs.  B.  0.  Spen- 
cer &  Co.,  Mrs.  A.  J.  Bailey  ;  barbers,  Mrs.  xlldrich,  J.  Snecken- 
berger,  W.  Parcells,  Mr.  Ewalt ;  harness,  Roberts  &  Vinson,  R, 
Van  Voorst,  Mr.  Obenchain ;  boots  and  shoes,  same  as  in  dry  goods, 
also  E.  Long ;  bankers.  Shirk  &  McLean  ;  lumber,  McCollum  & 
Turner,  Michael  Beiderwolf;  grist  mills,  A.  W.  Loughry  &  Co.,  R. 
D.  Roberts  &  Co ;  paper  mill,  Tippecanoe  Paper  Company ;  woolen 
factory,  Snyder  &  Snyder;  elevator,  McCoUurn  k  Turner;  hay 
barn,  McCollum  &  Turner ;  hotels,  McCuaig  House,  Anderson  House, 
Lear  House,  Failing  House  ;  cabinet  shops,  Samuel  Heckendorn,  Roth 
Brothers;  newspapers.  Herald,  Democrat,  National:  agricultural  im- 
plements, Roberts  &  Vinson,  John  Switzer,  Israel  Nordyke  k  Son, 
Ed.  Gardner;  undertaking,  M.  Beiderwolf;  secret  societies,  Masons, 
Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Pythias,  Sovereigns  of  the  Red  Star,  Wo- 
man's Christian  Temperance  Union  (not  secret) ;  carriages  and  wagons, 
John  Switzer,  Mahlon  Frazer:  stoves  and  tinware,    Ed  Gardner,  Mr. 


94  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

Bennett,  M.  Beiderwol£;  merchant  tailors,  W.  H.  Thompson,  W.  B. 
Keefer,  William  F.  Ford,  Mrs.  Jane  Thompson;  musical  instruments, 
George  Snyder;  butchers,  Zink  Brothers,  Drake  &  Coonrod,  Jesse 
Spencer ;  abstracts,  Guthrie  &  Bushnell,  Reynolds  &  Sellers,  William 
McCulloch;  real  estate,  0.  McConahay,  Guthrie  &  Bushnell,  Wal- 
ter Hartman  ;  saloons.  Fox  &  Carp,  John  H.  Peet,  Mr.  Mercer,  Lin- 
derman  &  Ellis,  Fritz  &  Bardfelt ;  livery  stables,  McCuaig  &  Dun- 
lap,  Wallace  &  Matthews  ;  blacksmiths,  John  Day,  Henderson  &  Hay, 
David  Rhoades ;  dentists,  W.  P.  Crowell,  A.  H.  Wirt,  Mr.  Mower ; 
marble  shop,  L.  M.  Watt;  contractors  and  builders,  John  Saunders, 
Roth  Brothers,  Richard  Imes,  Jesse  Tice,  James  Perkins ;  dress- 
makers, Miss  Nancy  Gardner,  Mrs.  Coen,  Miss  Josephine  Cowger ; 
plasterers,  Warfel  &  Thompson,  Abraham  Hanawalt ;  concrete  manu- 
facturers, Kingsbury  &  Peck ;  cigar  factories,  Henry  Geppinger, 
Frank  Temple  ;  ready  made  clothing,  McCollum  &  Turner,  R.  Hughes, 
W.  R.  Kendall,  J.  M.  Jost ;  sewing  machines,  McCollum  &  Turner, 
George  Snyder,  Roberts  &  Vinson ;  photographers,  A.  J.  Bailey  & 
Co.;  churches,  Presbyterian,  Methodist,  Baptist,  Catholic,  German  Lu- 
theran ;  ministers,  J.  B.  Smith,  J.  H.  Johnson,  George  Washburn ; 
doctors,  R.  J.  Clark,  S.  B.  Bushnell,  S.  R.  Cowger,  C.  Scott,  T. 
B.  Robinson,  A.  J.  Wood,  William  Spencer  ;  lawyers,  Sill  &  Palmer, 
Reynolds  &  Sellers,  D.  D.  Dale,  W.  J.  Gridley,  John  Wallace,  Wal- 
ter Hartman,  Owens  &  Uhl,  0.  McConahay,  W.  H.  Hammell, 
Thomas  Stanford,  Thomas  Neil,  T.  N.  Bunnell,  Guthrie  &  Bushnell, 
Robert  Gregory. 

Hydraulic  Companies. — In  February,  1848,  the  Legislature  enacted 
that  Phillip  Wolverton,  John  Burns,  Ashley  L.  Pierce,  Henry  Ensmiger, 
Randolph  Brearley,  John  C.  Merriam,  Zachariah  Van  Buskirk,  Isaac 
Reynolds  and  Zebulon  Sheets  should  constitute  a  "  body  politic  and  cor- 
porate under  the  name  and  style  of  the  Monticello  Hydraulic  Company," 
whose  object  was  to  develop  the  water-power  of  the  Tippecanoe  River  at 
Monticello.  In  January,  1849,  the  company  bought  a  small  tract  of 
land  of  a  man  known  as  R.  Hughes,  and  in  June  of  the  same  year 
another  small  tract  of  Zebulon  Sheets,  one  of  the  members.  Under  a 
lease,  Messrs.  Reynolds  &  Brearley  erected  a  large  frame  grist  mill  for 
merchant  work  ;  and  about  the  same  time  Hogland  &  Conkling  built  the 
woolen  factory.  A  saw  mill  was  also  built  by  Zebulon  Sheets.  A 
second  saw  mill  was  afterward  built  by  Hogland  &  Conkling;  it  became 
the  furniture  factory.  Reynolds  &  Brearley  erected  the  large  frame 
warehouse  that  was  afterward  used  many  years  for  a  schoolhouse.  All 
these  enterprises  began  active  work,  the  results  of  which  are  narrated  a 
few  pages  back.     The  utilization  of  this  water-power  marks  an  important 


UNION   TOWNSHIP.  95 

era  in  the  history  of  Monticello.  The  leases  were  for  ten  years,  and  in- 
cluded certain  portions  of  tiie  water-power  and  small  pieces  of  adjacent 
land.  These  mills  have  been  operated  until  the  present,  and  their  value 
to  Monticello  cannot  be  estimated  in  figures.  Probably  the  first  wool 
dealer  was  Peter  Price,  who  for  a  number  of  years  before  a  factory  was 
built  in  the  county  bought  and  traded  for  a  considerable  quantity  of  wool 
which  was  shipped  in  wagons  to  Delphi,  La  Fayette,  and  other  places  on 
the  Wabash  &  Erie  Canal,  and  even  hauled  to  Michigan  City,  the  trip 
consuming  about  a  week.  He  also  kept  in  his  house  west  of  town  woolen 
cloths  which  were  either  traded  for  wool  or  sold  for  cash.  Arthur  Rus- 
sell, Ayres,  Kingsbury,  Lynch,  were  at  times  connected  with  the  woolen 
factory  at  Monticello.  During  the  war,  Kingsbury  &  Lynch  renewed  the 
lease  of  the  water-power  necessary  to  run  their  factory  for  another  ten 
years.  The  other  establishments  on  the  dam  did  the  same.  In  1866, 
Markle  &  Cowdin  erected  the  woolen  factory  on  the  east  side  of  the  river. 
The  Dales,  Keefer  &  Roberts,  and  perhaps  others  were  afterward  con- 
nected with  it,  but  a  few  years  ago  the  building  was  fitted  up  to  do  mer- 
chant work  in  grinding  grain,  and  thus  continues  at  present. 

In  April,  1872,  the  Tippecanoe  Hydraulic  Company  was  organized 
as  a  sort  of  successor  to  the  old  Monticello  Hydraulic  Company,  the 
object  being  the  development  of  the  water-power  at  or  near  the  county 
seat.  The  members  subscribed  $60,000  worth  of  stock,  the  same  being 
divided  into  shares  of  $50  each,  and  the  organization  was  to  continue 
fifty  years.  The  first  Trustees  were  Albert  Reynolds,  W.  S.  Ayres, 
Robert  M.  Strait,  J.  C.  Blake  and  William  Braden.  The  operations  of 
the  company  were  to  be  carried  on  at  Monticello.  At  the  same  time,  the 
Monticello  Lumbering  k  Barrel  Heading  Manufacturing  Company  was 
created,  the  most  of  the  members  also  belonging  to  the  Hydraulic  Com- 
pany. These  companies  have  greatly  added  to  the  industrial  interests 
centering  at  Monticello.  The  paper  mill  below  town  and  in  Carroll 
County  is  one  of  the  results. 

The  Banking  Business. — In  1871-72,  a  private  banking  business  was 
begun,  a  comparatively  new  man  in  the  town,  one  J.  C.  Wilson,  becom- 
ing President.  A  number  of  the  best  citizens  were  connected  with  this 
bank  during  the  time  from  its  origin  until  it  became  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Monticello  in  the  winter  of  1874-75.  The  announced  capital  was 
$25,000 ;  but  owing  to  dissensions  which  arose  among  the  members,  and 
to  other  causes  which  are  largely  speculative,  the  bank  failed  to  realize 
the  expectations  of  its  founders,  or  gain  the  entire  confidence  of  the  pub- 
lic. This  led  to  its  transformation  into  the  First  National  Bank.  The 
new  stockholders  were  as  follows:  John  Burns,  $1,000  ;  R.  Hughes, 
$1,600;  J.  D.  Timmons,  $1,000;  J.  E.  Loughry,  $1,000,C.   C.   Spen- 


96  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

cer,  $1,600 ;  William  Spencer,  $1,600 ;  C.  W.  Kendall,  |1,600 ;  Jo- 
seph Kious,  $1,600;  L.  M.  Burns,  $1,600;  Lowe  Brothers,  $3,100 
W.  W.  Reynolds,  $5,000  ;  Irvin  Greer,  $1,000  ;  Perry  Spencer,  $1,000  ; 
Jephtha  Crouch,  $500  ;  and  the  balance  to  make  $50,000  was  owned  by 
J.  C.  Wilson  and  A.  W.  Reynolds.  The  bank  from  the  start  had  the 
entire  confidence  of  the  community,  and  within  about  eight  months  the 
deposits  amounted  to  $110,000.  In  a  short  time,  internal  troubles  arose, 
and  the  members  began  to  dispose  of  their  stock  and  withdraw.  Deposi- 
tors lost  confidence  and  called  for  their  money.  The  Herald  began  to 
suggest  that  all  was  not  right.  It  became  evident  that  Wilson,  and  per- 
haps others,  was  speculating  in  wheat,  horses,  wool,  etc.,  very  likely  with 
the  money  belonging  to  the  bank,  and  it  likewise  became  evident  that 
heavy  reverses  had  been  met.  Serious  complaints  arrived  from  distant 
parts,  which  involved  the  credit  of  the  bank.  The  Herald  continued  its 
criticisms  and  denunciations,  and  was  finally  notified  that  suit  had  been 
commenced  against  it  for  criminal  libel,  the  damages  claimed  amounting 
to  $20,000.  But  the  paper  showed  this  to  be  a  clever  dodge  to  escape 
the  charges  of  unlawful,  at  least  improper,  behavior,  and  continued  with 
no  abatement  in  the  severity  of  its  articles.  In  June,  1879,  the  bank 
closed  its  doors,  the  President,  J.  C.  Wilson,  absconded  to  Canada,  and 
a  number  of  stockholders,  depositors  and  creditors  clamored  in  vain  for 
their  money.  A  receiver  was  appointed,  various  law  suits  were  instituted, 
and  thus  the  matter  remains  at  present. 

The  present  Citizens' Bank  of  Monticello  was  founded  in  May,  1882, 
by  E.  H.  Shirk,  a  citizen  of  Peru,  Ind.,  and  W.  E.  McLean,  the  former 
acting  as  President  and  the  latter  as  Cashier,  and  the  two  being  the  only 
stockholders.  W.  W.  McColloch  is  Assistant  Cashier.  The  bank  has  a 
strong  safe,  with  a  time  lock,  and  has  the  entire  confidence  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Miscellaneous  Items. — Among  the  miscellaneous  items  and  organiza- 
tions in  Monticello  are  the  following  :  A  brass  band  was  formed  in  1848, 
and  for  about  two  years  the  citizens  were  regaled  with  the  choicest  music. 
The  members  were  R.  A.  Spencer,  R.  W.  Sill,  Charles  Dodge,  J.  R. 
Willey,  William  Braught,  M.  A.  Berkey,  W.  Rifenberrick,  Z.  Van  Buskirk 
and  0.  McConahay.  The  money  to  purchase  the  instruments  was  sub- 
scribed by  the  citizens. 

In  about  1874,  Union  Township  voted  aid  to  the  Narrow  Gauge  Rail- 
road to  the  amount  of  $25,400,  the  subscription  to  be  taken  as  stock. 
The  road  was  built,  but  became  a  broad  gauge,  and  is  now  known  as  the 
Indianapolis,  Delphi  &  Chicago  Railroad.  The  citizens  are  endeavoring 
to  escape  the  obligation  upon  the  ground  that  the  company  did  not  comply 
with  the  requirements  of  the  contract.     The  first  train  that  passed  through 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  97 

Monticello  and  over  the  Tippecanoe  River  was  in  December,  1859.  This 
was  on  the  Logansport,  Peoria  &  Burlington  Railroad.  Trains  had  been 
running  to  Monticello  from  Reynolds  Station,  some  time  before.  On  t  he 
16th  of  July,  1878,  between  1  and  2  o'clock  P.  M.,  an  engine  and  twenty- 
two  freight  cars  broke  through  the  west  span  of  the  railroad  bridge  at  Mon- 
ticello, killing  the  engineer  and  the  bridgewatchman,  and  wounding  three 
or  four  others.  The  caboose,  in  which  there  were  several  men  and 
women,  was  saved  from  going  down  by  the  putting-on  of  the  brakes. 

Among  the  additions  to  Monticello  are  Walker,  Reynolds  &  Jenner's, 
1836 ;  John  Barr,  County  Agent,  1837 ;  J.  C.  Reynolds'  First,  Second, 
Third  and  Fourth  Additions  ;  Snyder's,  1860,  and  Van  Voorst's,  1860  ; 
and  others  later. 

In  November,  1881,  the  Monticello  Marriage  Endowment  Associa- 
tion was  created,  but  up  to  this  writing   no  visible  effects   are  apparent. 

Ineorporafion  and  Town  Officers. — The  first  incorporation  of  Mon- 
ticello took  place  in  1853,  when  the  completion  of  the  New  Albany  & 
Salem  Railroad  through  the  county  gave  a  decided  advance  to  all  im- 
provements. Reynolds  at  this  time  sprang  into  life  and  unusual  activity, 
and  her  citizens  confidently  predicted  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  there. 
The  rapid  increase  in  population  and  general  development  there,  and  the 
unwavering  confidence  of  the  citizens,  created  no  little  alarm  in  the 
breasts  of  the  inhabitants  of  Monticello,  who  resolved  to  resist  the  re- 
moval by  all  means  in  their  power.  This  led  to  the  belief  that  the  in- 
corporation of  Monticello  would  greatly  decrease  the  liability  of  removal, 
and  in  response  to  this  sentiment  the  plan  was  carried  into  effect,  the  fol- 
lowing officers  being  elected :  Trustees,  Jacob  Hanaway,  Ferdinand 
Keifhaber,  William  S.  Haymond,  A.  V.  Reed  and  John  Wilson;  Mar- 
shal, Clerk,  Treasurer  and  Assessor,  John  R.  Willey.  This  state  of 
affairs  continued  about  one  year,  and  was  then  abandoned  by  mutual  con- 
sent, no  other  officers  being  elected.  The  second  incorporation,  which 
has  endured  until  the  present,  was  effected  in  1862,  chiefly  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  Alfred  Orton.  In  response  to  the  petition  presented, 
numerously  signed  by  the  citizens,  the  Commissioners  ordered  that  an 
election  of  five  Trustees,  one  Clerk  and  Assessor,  and  one  Treasurer  and 
Marshal,  should  be  held  at  the  court  house  in  April,  1862.  This  elec- 
tion resulted  as  follows  :  Trustees,  A.  Hanawalt,  Z.  Van  Buskirk,  James 
Wallace,  John  Saunders  and  D.  K.  Ream  ;  Treasurer  and  Marshal,  W. 
H.  Parcels ;   Clerk   and  Assessor,  Milton  M.  Sill. 

In  1868  the  following  officers  were  t:>lected :  Trustees,  W.  J.  Gridley, 
Samuel  Hcckendorn,  David  McCuaig,  Isaac  Reynolds  and  Cassius  M. 
Fisk  ;  Treasurer,  and  Marshal,  W.  E.  Saunderson  ;  Clerk  and  Assessor, 
P.  R.  Failing. 


98  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

For  1864— Trustees,  Samuel  Heckendorn,  W.  J.  Gridley,  C.  M. 
Fisk,  Isaac  Reynolds  and  D.  McCuaig  ;  Treasurer  and  Marshal,  Will- 
iam Reese;  Clerk  and  Assessor,  D.  D.  Dale. 

For  1865— Trustees,  Samuel  Heckendorn,  C.  M.  Fisk,  W.  J.  Grid- 
ley,  D.  K.  Ream  and  D.  McCuaig ;  Clerk  and  Assessor,  D.  D.  Dale 
and  W.  E.  Saunderson  ;   Treasurer  and  Marshal,  William  Reese. 

For  1866 — Trustees,  W.  S.  Haymond,  J.  A.  Wood,  John  Saunders, 
William  Keefer  and  A.  F.  Howard ;  Treasurer  and  Marshal,  D.  K. 
Ream  ;   Clerk  and  Assessor,   A.    W.  Reynolds. 

For  1867 — Trustees,  John  Saunders,  William  Keefer,  W.  S.  Hay- 
mond, F.  A.  Howard  and  J.  A.  Wood  ;  Treasurer  and  Marshal,  0.  S. 
Dale :  Clerk  and  Assessor,  A.  W.  Reynolds. 

For  1868 — Trustees,  W.  S.  Haymond,  John  Saunders,  A.  F.  Howard, 
S.  Heckendorn  and  E.  Bennett;  Treasurer  and  Marshal,  0.  S.  Dale; 
Clerk  and  Assessor,  Robert  Gregory. 

For  1869 — Trustees,  S.  Heckendorn,  A.  F.  Howard,  E.  Bennett, 
W.  R.  Davis  and  D.  Berkey;  Treasurer  and  Marshal,  James  A.  Mc- 
Conahay.;   Clerk  and  Assessor,  Robert  Gregory. 

For  1870 — Trustees,  S.  Heckendorn,  A.  F.  Howard  E.  Bennett, 
W.  R.  Davis  and  David  Berkey  ;  Treasurer  and  Marshal,  D.  McCuaig  ; 
Clerk  and  Assessor,  Robert  Gregory. 

For  1871 — Trustees,  Michael  Hogan,  David  McCuaig,  Mathew  Hen- 
derson, Martin  Wirtz  and  W.  R.  Davis ;  Treasurer  and  Marshal,  W.  F. 
Ford  ;   Clerk  and  Assessor,  Robert  Gregory. 

For  1872— Trustees,  John  B.  Harbolt,  H.  P.  Bennett,  David  Mc- 
Cuaig, M.  Henderson  and  M.  Wirtz  ;  Treasurer  and  Marshal,  B.  F. 
Ritchey  ;  Clerk  and  Assessor,  E.  B.  Sellers. 

For  1873- Trustees,  David  McCuaig,  M.  Henderson,  M.  Wirtz, 
J.  B.  Harbolt  and  J.  B.  Barnes ;  Treasurer  and  Marshal,  B.  F.  Richey  ; 
Clerk  and  Assessor,  E.  B.  Sellers. 

For  1874— Trustees,  D.  McCuaig,  M.  Wirtz,  M.  Henderson,  J.  B. 
Harbolt  and  J.  A.  McConahay  ;  Treasurer  and  Marshal,  Michael  Ho- 
gan ;  Clerk  and  Assessor,  Emory  B.  Sellers. 

For  1875 — Trustees,  D.  McCuaig,  J.  A.  Vinson,  J.  A.  McConahay, 

John  McConnell  and  Bucklin  Warden  ;    Treasurer  and  Marshal, ; 

Clerk  and  Assessor,    W.  P.  Crowell. 

For  1876— Trustees,    Samuel  P.  Cowger,  J.  M.  Turner,  E.  Bennett, 

B.  Warden  and  J.  A.  McConahay;   Treasurer  and  Marshal,    M,  Hogan  ; 
Clerk  and  Assessor,    B.  F.  Ross. 

For  1877 — Trustees,    Esau  Bennett,  J.  M.  Turner,  John  Large,  J. 

C.  Wilson   and  John  Miller  ;  Treasurer  and   Marshal,    B.    Fox  ;    Clerk 
and  Assessor,    S.  P.   Cowger. 


ASENATH  Price 


THS  NEW  YOKK 
PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


AST- 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  99 

For  1878— Trustees,  J.  C.  Wilson,  John  M.  Turner,  John  H. 
Switzer,  R.  W.  Christy  and  William  Imes  ;  Treasurer  and  Marshal — 
B.  F.  Ross  ;   Clerk  and  Assessor,    Frank  Bofinger. 

For  1879— Trustees,  J.  C.  Wilson,  J.  M.  Turner,  J.  H.  Switzer, 
Alpheus  Bennett  and  R.  W.  Christy  ;  Treasurer  and  Marshal,  B.  F. 
Ross ;  Clerk  and  Assessor,    Frank  Bofinger. 

For  1880 — Trustees,  James  Gardner,  Matthew  Massena,  Milton  M. 
Sill,  Samuel  B.  Bushnell  and  Richard  Imes ;  Marshal,  Benjamin 
Reynolds ;  Clerk  and  Assessor,  T.  T.  Palmer ;  Treasurer,  W.  R. 
Harvey. 

For  1881 — Trustees,  Richard  Imes,  J.  M.  Gardner,  Samuel  Miller, 
A.  Hanawalt  and  W.  E.  Uhl  ;  Marshal,  Edward  Reynolds  ;  Treasurer, 
Alpheus  Bennett ;   Clerk,    Curtis  D.  Meeker. 

For  1882 — Trustees,  A.  Hanawalt,  Samuel  Miller,  John  McCon- 
nell,  W.  E.  Uhl  and  Richard  Imes;  Marshal.  Francis  MuUendore; 
Treasurer,    A.  Bennett ;  Clerk,    W.  P.  Crowell. 

The  following  is  the  report  of  the  Treasurer  of  Monticello  for  the 
year  ending  April  25,  1873  : 

RECKIPTS. 

General  tax  collected $1,998  78 

Same  from  former  Treasurer (33  27 

Amouutoflicens-es 38  00 

Amount  of  fines 2  00 

Special  school  tax  collected 2,068  46 

Same  from  former  Treasurer 75  86 

Road  tax  collected 25  35 

Same  from  former  Treasurer 51  87 

Total $4, .",23  09 

EXPENDITURES 

Orders  redeemed |1,757  38 

Interest  on  orders 48  04 

Fire  expense 91  36 

Coupons  redeemed 1,980  00 

Interest  on  coupons 137  89 

Expended  on  streets 76  72 

Total $4,091  39 

Balance  on   hand 231  70 

General  fund,  delinquent 230  81 

Special  school  fund,  delinquent 192  29 

Proceedings  of  the  Town  Board. — The  first  regulation  to  prevent 
drunkenness  on  the  streets  or  in  the  town  was  passed  in  November, 
1866,  and  inflicted  a  fine  of  not  less  than  $5,  nor  more  than  $10,  upon 
the  law-breaker.  In  February,  1868,  the  liquor  license  was  fixed  at 
$100.     The  Monticello   Hook  and  Ladder  Company  filed  articles  of  as- 

7 


38512R 


100  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

sociation  in  March,  1869,  which  were  approved  by  the  Town  Board. 
Arrangements  were  made  to  appoint  proper  Fire  Wardens  and  to  require 
of  property  holders  that  they  should  keep  on  hand  buckets,  ladders,  etc» 
E.  J.  C.  Hilderbrand  made  the  fire  wagon  for  |150.  The  town  receipts 
for  the  year  ending  April,  1869,  were  $767.57,  and  the  disbursements 
$963.63.  John  Saunders  and  Mr.  Cherrie  built  the  Hook  and  Ladder 
building  for  |165  in  1869.  This  was  the  time  the  school  bonds  were 
issued.  The  Fire  Wardens  ordinance  was  finally  passed  in  1872-73. 
The  fire  bell  was  purchased  in  1875  for  $137.  In  1878-80,  the  Town 
Board  were  hauled  over  the  coals  about  the  school  bond  business,  though 
nothing  had  been  done  by  them  except  neglecting  to  take  Wilson's  bond 
before  he  was  intrusted  with  the  new  corporate  bonds. 

Early  Newspai^ers. — The  first  newspaper  published  in  White  County 
was  the  Prairie  Chieftain,  the  first  issue  appearing  July  3,  1849,  with 
A.  V.  Reed  and  John  K.  Lovejoy,  editors,  publishers  and  proprietors. 
The  office  was  in  the  second  story  of  the  old  court  house,  now  used  as  a 
wagon  shop  on  Main  street,  by  Mr.  Switzer.  Mr.  Lovejoy  was  connect- 
ed with  the  paper  a  short  time,  and  then  transferred  his  interest  to  John 
Carothers,  who  remained  Mr.  Reed's  partner  until  1854,  when  the  last 
issue  of  the  Chieftain  appeared.  The  paper  had  met  with  fair  patronage 
from  members  of  all  parties,  though  politically  it  was  Democratic.  As 
was  the  custom  in  those  days,  the  county  local  afiairs  were  largely  disre- 
garded by  the  Chieftain,  whose  editors  filled  its  columns  with  long  windy 
Congressional  or  political  speeches,  messages  of  the'President  to  Congress, 
and  miscellaneous  articles  tastefully  constructed.  It  remained  for  papers 
of  a  later  date  to  condense  the  State  and  National  news,  and  invent  and 
render  valuable  the  "local  department."  The  Chieftain  was  immedi- 
ately succeeded  by  the  RegiMer,  edited  by  B.  F.  Tilden,  and  published 
on  the  south  side  of  the  square  by  R.  J.  Parker.  This  paper,  though 
well  conducted  for  that  day,  did  not  fully  satisfy  public  expectation, 
owing  mainly  to  the  unstable  condition  of  political  afiairs  and  not  to  any 
fault  of  the  proprietors.  Early  in  1856,  it  was  succeded  by  the  Polit- 
ical Frame,  published  by  R.  W.  Sill ;  but  in  March,  1857,  H.  C.  Kirk 
assumed  control,  continuing  until  the  autumn  of  1857,  when  the  paper 
became  the  White  County  JacTcsonian,  edited  and  published  by  John  G. 
Scott.  At  the  expiration  of  a  little  more  than  a  year,  Mr.  Scott  discon- 
tinued the  Jacksonian,  announcing  editorially  that  "  our  brightest  hopes 
have  been  canceled  by  a  full  realization  of  everything  hoped  for."  That 
somewhat  obscure  ^statement  is  regarded  by  some  as  an  artful  piece  of 
satire  to  conceal  the  fact  that  the  editor  had  hoped  for  nothing.  Mr. 
James  W.  McEwen  was  the  next  editor  of  the  paper,  assuming  control 
in  March,  1859,  and  changing  the  name  to  the  White  County  Democrat. 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  101 

The  paper  during  the  war,  though  sometimes  severe  in  its  denunciations 
of  the  course  pursued  by  the  administration  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  did  not  re- 
sort to  that  ofiensive  extremity  which  caused  the  military  authorities  of 
the  State  to  suppress  many  Democratic  sheets  throughout  Indiana. 
Scurrilous  personalties,  however,  gave  the  paper  no  little  notoriety, 
though  they  usually  appeared  over  the  non  de  plume  of  correspondents. 
In  July,  1863,  N.  C.  A.  Rayhouser  became  a  partner  of  Mr.  McEwen's, 
and  the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to  the  Constitutionalist ;  but  at 
the  end  of  about  six  months,  Mr.  Rayhouser  sold  out,  or  at  least  got  out, 
and  Mr.  McEwen  continued  alone  until  June,  1870,  when  he  was  joined 
by  A.  P.  Kerr,  who  also  sold  his  interest  in  August,  1873,  Mr.  McEwen 
remaining  again  alone.  The  office  was  finally  sold  to  William  B. 
Hoover,  at  whose  death  the  issue  was  continued  by  Jasper  Keyes.  About 
two  years  ago,  the  office  was  partly  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  publication 
of  the  paper  was  abandoned  for  a  period,  though  the  Monticello  Times 
published  by  C.  J.  Reynolds,  soon  took  its  place,  but  ceased  to  appear  in 
January,  1882.  On  the  16th  of  June,  1882,  Owens  &  Uhl  issued  the 
first  number  of  tlie  WJiite  County  Democrat,  really  the  successor  of  the 
Democratic  patronage  of  the  county,  though  the  editors  refused  to  recog- 
nize any  relationship  between  their  organ  and  papers  of  Democratic  pro- 
clivities previously  issued.  In  January,  1883,  Mr.  Uhl  sold  his  interest 
to  Mr.  Owens,  who  is  yet  sole  owner  and  proprietor.  The  Democrat  is 
newsy,  ably  conducted,  and  has  a  large  circulation. 

James  and  Benjamin  Spencer  issued  the  first  number  of 
the  Monticello  Spectator  on  the  12th  of  May,  1859.  The  paper 
was  Republican,  politically,  and  was  a  credit  to  the  editors  and  to  the 
county.  It  never  received  the  support  it  deserved,  and  was  finally  com- 
pelled to  suspend  in  February,  1862,  owing  to  a  lack  of  patronage. 
Milton  M.  Sill  purchased  the  office,  and  issued  the  first  number  of  the 
Monticello  Herald  February  14,  1862,  continuing  until  October,  1863, 
when  J.  G.  Staley  took  charge  of  the  office,  but  sold  out  the  following 
January  to  A.  H.  Harrit.  In  February,  1865,  W.  H.  Dague  purchased 
a  one-half  interest,  and  in  the  following  August  Mr.  Harrit  withdrew, 
leaving  Mr.  Dague  sole  owner  and  proprietor.  In  the  autumn  of  1869, 
the  office  was  purchased  by  S.  P.  Conner,  and  in  1870  W.  J.  Huff  se- 
cured a  part  interest.  Mr.  Conner  left  in  the  fall  of  1870,  leaving  Mr. 
Huff  sole  editor  and  owner.  In  November,  1874,  J.  B.  Van  Buskirk  be- 
came associated  with  Mr.  Huff,  and  thus  the  paper  remains  at  present. 
The  Herald  presents  a  bright  face,  is  skillfully  managed,  has  an  extensive 
circulation,  and  is  fii'mly  founded. 

On  the  13th  of  April,  1878,  appeared  the  first  number  of 
the    National,  a   weekly    paper,     six-column     folio,     subscription     price 


102    '  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

$1.50  per  year ;  editor  and  proprietor,  Jacob  C.  Smith.  The  paper  has 
been  regularly  issued  since,  and  has  steadily  advocated  the  principles  of 
the 'Greenback  party.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  "  fuse  "  it  into  one 
or  the  other  of  the  old  parties,  but  without  success.  It  has  a  fair  circula- 
tion and  a  paying  patronage  of  job  work. 

Secret  Societies. — Libanus  Lodge,  No.  154,  F.,  &  A.  M.,  of  Monti- 
cello,  received  its  dispensation  on  the  1st  of  April,  1853.  Its  charter 
bears  date  May  23,  1854.  The  first  officers  were:  F.  G.  Kendall,  W.  M.; 
J.  W.  Bulger,  S.  W.;   William  Russell,  J.  W.;   C.  W.  Kendall,  Secretary; 

A.  Yunt,  Treasurer;  W.  B.  Gray,  S.  D.;  Ralph  Spencer,  J.  D.;  W.  C. 
May,  Tiler.  It  has  prospered  fairly  since  that  early  day.  The  present 
membership  is  something  over  fifty,  and  the  lodge  property  is  valued  at 
about  $500.  The  present  officers  are  :  W.  S.  Bushnell,  W.  M.;  S.  B. 
Bushnell,  S.  W.;  T.  F.  Palmer,  J.  W.;  M.  M.  Sill,  Secretary;  Israel 
Nordyke,  Treasurer;  M.  T.  Didlake,  S.  D.;  J.  R.  Van  Voorst,  J.  D.; 
Elisha  Warden,  Tiler. 

Monticello  Lodge,  No.  107,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  was  granted  a  dispensation 
January  23,  1852,  and  was  instituted  on  the  30th  of  the  same  month  and 
year,  the  charter  members  being  M.  R.  Sheets,  J.  T.  Ritchey,  W.  R. 
Davis,  J.  R.  Lovejoy,  Samuel  Barnes,  R.  C.  Kirk  and  D.  T.  Spears. 
The  first  officers  were:  William  Davis,  N.  G.;  D.  T.  Spears,  V.  G.;  J.  R. 
Lovejoy,  Secretary;  J.  T.  Ritchey,  Treasurer.  The  present  membership 
is  forty-seven. 

Rebekah  Degree,  Eudora.  No.  201,  was  organized  in  December,  1879 
the  members  being  William  Parcels  and  wife,  James  Hay  and   wife,  S 

B.  Bushnell  and  wife,  R.  L.  Harvey  and  wife,  William  Spencer,  H.  V.' 
Spencer. 

Stewart  Encampment,  No.  159,  was  organized  in  December,  1882, 
with  the  following  first  members :  R.  L.  Harvey,  T.  F.  Palmer,  S.  B. 
Bushnell,  D.  McCuaig,  J.  C.  Hughes,  Orlando  McClintock,  Robert 
Nicewander  and  George  Uhl.     The  present  membership  is  fourteen. 

Monticello  Lodge,  No.  73,  K.  of  P.,  was  established  February  2,  1877. 
The  present  membership  is  fifty-one.  The  officers  are:  E.  P.  Roberts,  P. 
C;  J.  C.  Rufing,  C.  C;  P.  D.  Bennett,  V.  C;  J.  R.  Van  Voorst,  Prelate; 
William  Guthrie,  M.  of  E.;  J.  Y.  Stevenson,  M.  of  F.;  Z.  T.  Bennett, 
K.  of  R.  S.;  William  Dunklebarger,  M.  at  A.;  John  Beiderwolf,  I.  G.; 
B.  F..  Bierly,  0.  G.;  H.  P.  Owens,  Z.  T.  Bennett  and  E.  R.  Gardner, 
Trustees ;  H.  P.  Owens,  D.  D.  G.  C.  The  lodge  is  in  a  prosperous  con- 
dition. The  charter  members  were  as  follows  :  John  H.  Wallace,  Emory 
B.  Sellers,  Henry  P.  Owens,  James  V.  Vinson,  Irvin  Greer,  Henry  Sny- 
der, John  C.  Hughes,  Isaiah  Bisher,  Taylor  Bennett,  John  T.  Roach, 
Washington  Kuntz,  George  Baxter,  Frank   Roberts,   Thomas  J.  Woltz, 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  103 

William  R.  Harvey,  William  Spencer,  James  E,  Howard,  Josiah  Purcell, 
John  T.  Ford,  John  H.  Peet,  Albert  W.  Loughry,  John  H.  Burns,  T. 
Fayette  Palmer,  Samuel  Fenters. 

An  organization  called  the  Sovereigns  of  the  Red  Star  was  established 
at  Monticello  in  May,  1882,  the  object  of  which  was  the  protection  of  its 
members  from  the  use  of  strong  drink.  The  members  were  J.  C.  Brown, 
Abner  Cochell,  J.  S.  Wigmore,  Nate  Benjamin,  E.  Wheaton,  R.  L.  Har- 
vey, John  Grub,  W.  J.  Gridley,  James  Grim,  Jesse  Spencer,  H.  D. 
Replogle,  John  Donavin,  D.  B.  Ford,  Richard  Runkle,  W.  W.  Pettit, 
Joseph  Young,  W.  F.  Ford,  J.  M.  Perkins  and  Charles  C.  Davis.  The 
society  is  secret  in  its  workings.  The  order  should  receive  substan- 
tial encouragement  from  the  citizens  of  the  town,  as  its  object  is  surely  in 
the  right  direction. 

The  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union  has  an  organization  in 
town,  which  is  in  excellent  working  order,  and  is  doing  much  good,  though 
its  field  of  labor  should  be  extended. 

Tippecanoe  Post,  No.  51,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Monticello,  was  organized 
March  31,  1882,  by  Judge  J.  H.  Gould,  of  Delphi,  Deputy  Mustering 
OflScer.  On  organization,  the  membership  consisted  of  twelve  members, 
and  the  first  officers  were:  John  C.  Brown,  Post  Commander ;  Geoi'ge  AV. 
Robertson,  Senior  Vice  Commander;  James  M.  McBeth,  Junior  Vice 
Commander;  Robert  G.  Clark,  Surgeon;  Rev.  J.  B.  Smith,  Chaplain ; 
John  H.  Burns,  Officer  of  the  Day;  L.  G.  Kenton,  Officer  of  the  Guard; 
Mahlon  H.  Smith,  Adjutant.  The  present  officers  are:  George  Lhl, 
Post  Commander ;  John  H.  Wallace,  Senior  Vice  Commander  ;  Thomas 
A.  Robinson,  Junior  Vice  Commander ;  Henry  VanA^oorst,  Quartermas- 
ter; John  C.  Brown,  Officer  of  the  Day;  David  S.  Rhodes,  Officer  of  the 
Guard  ;  S.  B.  Bushnell,  Adjutant;  James  M.  McBeth,  Sergeant  Major  ; 
Isaac  Price,  Commissary  Sergeant ;  Rev.  J.  B.  Smith,  Chaplain.  The 
present  membership  is  fifty-seven,  and  the  organization  meets  in  the  hall 
of  the  A.  0.  U.  W.,  on  the  second  and  fourth  Friday  evenings  of  each 
month. 

Early  Schools  in  Monticello. — In  commencing  an  account  of  the 
schools  of  Monticello,  no  better  can  be  done  than  the  publication  of  the 
following  selected  portion  of  an  essay  on  the  early  schools  of  White 
County,  read  before  a  Teachers'  Institute  at  Monticello  a  few  years  ago, 
by  Milton  M.  Sill,  one  of  the  county's  oldest  and  most  respected  citizens: 

In  the  year  1835,  a  frame  schoolhouse  was  erected  at  Monticello,  on 
the  present  site  of  Mr.  Nordyke's  residence,  twenty  by  thirty  feet  in 
length,  with  all  the  modern  appliances,  including  iron  latches  and  hinges 
for  the  door  and  sash  and  glass  lights  for  the  windows,  which  were  care- 
fully placed  near  the  roof  lest  some  wicked  boy  should  drive  his  fist 


104  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

tlirougli  them,  for  the  glass  was  scarce  then  and  high  priced.  This  build- 
ing answered  the  purpose  of  a  church,  also,  for  ten  years,  during  which 
time  there  was  no  church  edifice  in  the  place.  Mathias  Davis,  father  of 
Mrs.  David  McCuaig,  was  the  first  teacher,  and  continued  several  terms 
of  three  months  each,  until  about  the  year  1838,  when  he  returned  to  his 
home  in  Carroll  County  and  remained  there  two  years,  when  he  again 
took  the  Newell  School  in  Big  Creek  Township.  He  was  succeeded  in 
the  Monticello  School  by  William  Cahill,  who  taught  one  term.  Mr. 
Cahill  was  a  very  clever  gentleman  and  a  scholar,  but  he  lacked  muscle 
and  nerve.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Montgomery,  a  sprig  of  Green 
Erin  (many  of  the  scholars  thought  him  much  more  than  a  sprig). 
He  introduced  the  rawhide  whip  into  our  school  and  used  it  on  the  least 
provocation.  His  administration  is  memorable  for  the  assault  made  by 
him  on  one  of  his  pupils  (Erastus  Gray),  which  resulted  in  his  arrest  and 
incarceration  in  the  county  jail.  He  whipped  the  poor  boy  until  the  blood 
literally  ran  down  his  back,  and  yet  many  justified  the  act  and  censured 
the  boy's  father  for  causing  his  arrest.  He  was  followed  by  James  Kelley, 
also  an  Irishman,  but  the  opposite  of  his  predecessor  in  disposition  and 
without  his  mental  acquirements.  James  Givens  succeeded  Kelly  and 
taught  several  terms  with  satisfactory  results.  At  this  time,  there  had 
been  but  one  attempt  upon  the  part  of  a  female  teacher  to  open  a  pub- 
lic school.  Miss  Fannie  Carter,  a  lady  of  rare  accomplishments  and 
of  fair  executive  ability,  opened  a  subscription  school,  and  though  a 
strong  prejudice  existed  at  that  time  against  female  teachers,  she  suc- 
ceeded for  three  successive  terms  in  carrying  on  her  school  and  did 
much  good. 

Shortly  after  the  close  of  Mr.  Givens'  school,  Ranson  McConahay 
was  splected  to  teach  the  Monticello  School.  He  and  his  brother  David 
had  been  teaching  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county,  while  his  nephew 
David  (now  living  at  Idaville),  had  taught  in  Liberty  Township  in  what 
was  known  as  the  Elston  neighborhood.  All  of  them  had  the  reputation 
of  being  able  and  successful  teachers,  which  was  fully  justified  by  him  in 
the  management  of  the  school  here.  At  the  close  of  his  term,  a  long  va- 
cation ensued,  and  the  parents  were  divided  in  opinion,  some  insisting  on 
a  lady  teacher,  others  preferring  a  male.  In  the  confusion  existing,  Mrs. 
Moore,  a  widow  lady,  announced  her  intention  of  occupying  the  school- 
house  on  a  certain  Monday.  On  the  Sabbath  preceding,  the  parties  op- 
posing her  sent  a  messenger  to  Pittsburg,  in  Carroll  County,  with  power 
to  employ  a  teacher  and  bring  him  forthwith  to  occupy  the  house  in  dis- 
pute. The  result  was  the  employment  of  a  Mr.  DeLaplane,  and  install- 
ing him  as  teacher  in  the  schoolhouse  at  4  o'clock,  Monday  morning, 
an  hour  unprecedentedly  early  for  school,  and  upon   the  arrival   of  Mrs. 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  105 

Moore,  at  the  regular  hour,  he  had  proceeded  so  far  as  to  have  heard  the 
dozen  scholars  with  which  he  was  surrounded  recite  three  or  four  lessons 
each,  and,  with  no  prospect  of  a  recess,  was  still  continuing  to  muster  them 
for  further  recitation.  The  lady  indignantly  demanded  possession,  which 
he  ungallantly  refused  to  give,  and  held  the  fort  through  a  storm  of 
threats  and  abuse  from  her  and  her  friends  on  the  one  side,  until  re-en- 
forced by  his  backers.  A  truce  was  then  called,  which  resulted  in  the 
final  loss  of  the  school  to  both,  and  Lucius  Pierce  was  the  successful  ap- 
plicant. Ha  instituted  in  place  of  the  rod  for  punishment  the  ferule, 
and  the  refractory  pupil  was  punished  by  banishment  to  a  lonely  bench  in 
a  remote  corner,  where,  after  due  time  given  for  reflection,  he  was  brought 
out  and  tortured  in  proportion  to  the  enormity  of  crime  committed, 
which  was  from  three  to  ten  strokes  of  the  ruler  in  the  open  palm  of  the 
left  hand.  Decided  progress  was  made  by  the  scholars  under  the  teach- 
ing of  Mr.  Pierce,  who  continued  with  slight  lapses  for  two  years,  his 
brothers  also  teaching  both  at  Monticello  and  in  other  parts  of  the 
county. 

Prof.  G-eorge  Bowman  s  School. — In  the  fall  of  1846,  Prof.  George 
Bowman  began  his  career  as  a  teacher  in  White  County.  He  intro- 
duced the  studies  of  Natural  Philosophy,  Astronomy,  Algebra  and  Latin, 
and  for  the  first  time  the  scholars  had  the  opportunity  of  acquiring  some- 
thing more  than  the  fundamental  principles  of  an  English  education.  New 
books  were  introduced  and  the  cause  of  education  rapidly  advanced  under 
his  efficient  and  faithful  management.  Blackboards,  until  then  unheard 
of,  now  adorned  the  walls  of  the  school  room ;  the  art  of  composition 
and  declamation  was  cultivated  and  pupils  were  required  to  give  reasons 
and  illustrations  in  support  of  theory. 

Mr.  Bowman  removed  to  Delphi  in  the  fall  of  1850,  and  as  no  teacher 
of  sufficient  experience  and  learning  could  be  secured  to  take  his  place, 
the  cause  of  education  somewhat  languished  after  his  departure.  It  was 
probably  about  this  time  that  an  effort  was  made  to  built  a  brick  school- 
building  near  where  Israel  Nordyke  now  lives.  Whether  the  house  was 
to  be  erected  with  the  county  seminary  funds  under  the  laws  regarding 
that  institution,  or  whether  it  was  to  be  built  wholly  as  a  schoolhouse  for  the 
district  of  Monticello,  cannot  be  certainly  learned,  though  it  is  a  matter  of 
history  that  the  building  was  completed  as  far  up  as  the  tops  of  the  lower 
windows,  and  then,  owing  to  the  failure  of  subscribers  to  advance  the  funds 
promised,  the  work  was  abandoned  and  the  material  soon  afterward  re- 
moved. There  was  a  period  during  the  '50's  when  the  old  schoolhouse  of 
1835  could  not  accommodate  the  children  seeking  education,  and  in  conse- 
quence various  private  or  subscription  schools  where  opened  in  other 
buildings  in  the  town.     Besides  this,  only  the  fundamental  branches  were 


106  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

taught  in  the  schoolhouse,  whereas,  in  the  interest  created  by  Mr.  Bow- 
man there  was  a  strong  demand  for  the  higher  branches.  An  excellent 
school  was  taught  in  the  Democrat  building,  among  the  teachers  being 
Maria  Hutton  and  Mrs.  Dr.  Haymond,  both  women  of  excellent  mental 
and  moral  endowments. 

The  return  of  Mr.  Bowman  in  1859  revived  the  interest  in  the 
higher  branches,  and  arrangements  were  made  to  provide  him  with  suffi- 
cient and  suitable  facilities    for  teaching.     The  old  warehouse  built  by 

was  re-arranged,  fitted  up,    and  divided  into    roorps,    and    the 

teacher  and  his  scholars,  after  the  school  had  begun,  hoisted  the  bell  to 
the  top  of  the  building,  where  it  regularly  marked  the  passage  of 
time.  Here  Mr.  Bowman  and  two  assistants  taught  until  the  summer  of 
1862,  when  the  former  enlisted  and  went  out  to  fight  his  country's  battles. 
This  was  known  as  the  Monticello  Graded  School ;  but  the  citizens  of  the 
town  deserve  no  credit  for  its  commencement  or  continuance,  as  its 
management  was  wholly  under  the  control  of  the  Principal  who  established 
the  grades,  admitted  students  from  wherever  they  might  come,  and  fixed 
the  tuition  and  the  courses  of  study.  There  were  three  departments : 
Primary,  Middle  and  Higher.  The  Primary  comprised  First  and  Second 
Readers,  orthography,  writing  and  mental  arithmetic ;  Middle — Third 
and  Fourth  Readers,  geography,  arithmetic  to  fractions,  Primary- 
Grammar,  penmanship  and  orthography ;  Higher — Advanced  arithme- 
tic, algebra,  grammar,  geography,  histoiry  of  the  United  States,  ge- 
ometiy,  Latin  and  Greek.  Students  were  prepared  for  college.  Mr. 
Bowman  carried  a  class  of  young  men  and  women  through  all  these  higher 
studies,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  school  in  the  town  before  or  since 
surpassed  his  in  the  advance  made  or  the  interest  manifested.  His 
assistants  in  1860  were  Miss  Mary  Bowman  in  the  Primary  Department, 
and  H.  H.  Tedford  in  the  Intermediate.  After  he  enlisted,  Mr.  Harrit 
took  his  place,  and  continued  the  school  with  but  little  abatement  in  in- 
terest or  decrease  in  numbers.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Bowman,  and 
he  in  turn  by  Revs.  William  Irelan  and  William  Hanawalt,  two  men  well 
known  to  the  teachers  and  preachers  of  White  County  for  their  piety, 
learning  and  social  worth. 

High  School  Building. — On  the  29th  of  January,  1869,  H.  P.  An- 
derson and  Lucius  Pierce,  School  Trustees  of  Monticello,  presented  a 
petition  to  the  Town  Board  praying  that  a  specified  amount  of  corporate 
bonds  should  be  issued  to  defray  the  expense  of  constructing  a  new  school 
building;  whereupon,  on  motion  of  H.  S.  Haymond  the  following  ordi- 
nance was  passed  and  ordered  printed  in  the   Constitutionalist. 

Section  1.  Beit  Ordained  by  the^  Trustees  of  the  Incorporated  Town  of  Monticello, 
While  County,  Indiana,  That ^for  the  purpose  of  advancing   educational    interests    in.  the 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  107 

town  and  county  aforesaid,  the  Board  of  Trustees  hereby  order  issued  to  the  School 
Trustees  of  Monficello,  twenty  tliousand  dollars'  worth  of  coupon  bond^  of  the  de- 
nomination of  one  hundred  dollars  each,  with  interest  at  the  rate  of  ten  per  cent  per 
annum  from  date  ;  and  the  interest  upon  said  bonds  is  to  be  paid  by  the  Treasurer  of 
said  corporation,  at  his  office  in  said  town  ;  and  said  bonds  are  made  redeemable  at  the 
pleasure  of  said  corporation  after  two  years  and  within  ten  years  after  the  issue  thereof. 
Section  2.  It  is  declared  that  an  emergency  exists  for  the  immediate  taking  effect 
of  this  ordinance ;  therefore  it  shall  be  in  force  from  and  after  its  passage. 

The  bonds  were  issued,  sold,  and  with  the  proceeds  one  of  the  finest 
brick  school  structures  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  State  was  erected, 
the  work  being  completed  in  the  summer  of  1870,  The  first  session  in  the 
new  building  began  September  20,  1870,  the  School  Trustees  at 
the  time  being  H.  P.  Anderson,  W.  S.  Haymond  and  C.  W. 
Kendall.  .  I.  M.  Gross  was  employed  as  Principal,  and  Albert  S. 
Nordyke,  James  McBeth,  Annie  Henderson,  and  Lodie  Reed, 
Assistants,  a  most  excellent  corps  of  teachers.  Among  the  sub- 
sequent Principals  have  been  J.  A.  VanLandingham  in  1873;  J. 
R.  Owens  in  1874,  and  J.  G.  Royer,  the  present  competent  man,  in  1876. 
Other  Assistants  have  been  Columbia  E.  Logan,  1874  ;  Sanford  John- 
sonbaugh  and  Emma  Palmer,  1876  ;  Sallie  Dill  and  Jennie  Gardner,  in 
1880. 

The  following  is  the  enrollment  and  average  attendance  up  to  the  pres- 
ent time,  except  for  the  first  two  years  : 

No.  en-  Av.  daily  at- 

rolled.  tendance. 

1873-74 157  119 

1874-75 v34  146 

1875-76 232  153 

1876-77 293  178 

1877-78 321  181 

1878-79 366  196 

1879-80 385  227 

1880-81 381  234 

1881-82 377  248 

1882-83 376*  275 

School  Bonds. — The  School  Bonds  of  1869  called  for  interest  at  the 
rate  of  ten  per  cent — more  than  the  citizens  wanted  to  pay,  and  in  1878 
measures  were  taken  to  refund  them  at  seven  per  cent.  New  bonds 
to  the  amount  of  $21,000  were  issued  and  placed  in  the  hands 
of  J.  C.  Wilson  for  negotiation,  but  although  the  bonds  were  soon 
sold,  the  proceeds  were  not  forthcoming.  The  Herald  first  took  up  the 
matter,  and  intimated  that  as  Mr.  Wilson  had  been  required  to  give  no 
bond  for  the  faithful  performance  of  his  duties  as  agent,  there  was  abund- 
ant opportunity  for  the  corporation  to  be  defrauded  out  of  the  entire  pro- 
ceeds of  the  sale  of  the  new  bonds.    After  much  controversy,  Mr.  Wilson 

♦Partial  Report 


108  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

entered  into  bond  with  approved  security,  which  afterward  proved  to  be 
comparatively  worthless.  The  Herald  continued  its  lampoons,  and  de- 
serves great  credit  for  its  eiforts,  though  its  warnings  were  mainly  un- 
heeded. The  First  National  Bank,  of  which  Wilson  was  a  prominent 
member,  closed  its  doors,  and  Wilson  departed  for  Canada,  and  Monticello 
was  left  with  a  bonded  school  debt  of  about  $40,000,  of  which 
twenty-one  thousand  was  drawing  seven  per  cent  interest,  and  the  remain- 
der ten  per  cent  interest.  The  excitement  about  this  time  was  at  fever 
heat,  and  Wilson's  name  was  in  high  odor.  The  Herald  appropriately 
said,  "I  told  you  so."  Suit  was  instituted  against  Wilson's  bondsmen, 
and  also  against  M.  L.  Bundy,  Receiver  of  the  First  National  Bank, 
to  recover  $10,000,  which  was  alleged  to  have  been  deposited  by 
Wilson  as  agent  from  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  refunded  bonds. 
About  $7,000  was  recovered  by  the  latter  suit,  but  so  far  nothing 
from  the  former.  It  was  also  decided  to  resist  the  payment  of 
the  interest  and  principal  of  the  refunded  bonds.  This  was  accordingly 
done,  and  suit  was  brought  against  the  corporation  by  A.  L.  Merrill  to 
collect  on  the  new  bonds.  A  recent  decision  of  the  court  renders  the  new 
bonds  invalid,  upon  the  ground  that  "municipal  corporations  have  no 
power  to  issue  or  make  commercial  paper.  That  power  must  come  from 
the  Legislature.  The  town  had  no  authority  at  the  time  to  refund  its 
debt."  It  is  probable  now  that  the  payment  of  the  new  bonds  will  be  avoid- 
ed, though  the  question  is  not  definitely  settled. 

School  Trustees. — Among  the  School  Trustees  since  the  incorpora- 
tion of  the  town  have  been :  Richard  Brown,  1862;  H.  P.  Anderson, 
1863;  J.  A.  Wood,  1864;  A.  Hanawalt,  1864 ;  Ira  Kingsbury,  1865; 
W.  S.  Davis,  1865 ;  Lucius  Pierce,  1866;  M.  A.  Kerr,  1867;  W.  J. 
Oridley,  1868 ;  William  Davis,  1869 ;  C.  W.  Kendall,  1870 ;  A.  W. 
Reynolds,  1871 :  J.  S.  Hurtt,  1871;  Thomas  Bushnell,  1873;  A.  Hanawalt, 
1873 ;  F.  M.  Mullendore,  1873 ;  Robert  J.  Clark,  1874 ;  M.  M.  Sill,  1875  ; 
A.  Hanawalt,  1875;  S.  B.  Bushnell,  1875;  J.  H.  McCollum,  1876;  A. 
Hanawalt,  1877  ;  Samuel  Heckendorn,  1878  ;  J.  H.  McCollum,  1879  ;  W. 
S.  Bushnell;  1880;  Samuel  Heckendorn,  1881;  J.  B.  Smith,  1883. 
Monticello  has  an  excellent  school.  For  a  number  of  years,  Teachers'  In- 
stitutes have  been  held  in  all  the  townships  and  at  Monticello,  and  the  re- 
sult is  manifested  in  a  higher  system  of  professional  work.  The  County 
Superintendent,  William  Guthrie,  a  young  man  of  excellent  natural  qual- 
ifications, is  steadily  raising  the  grade  of  professional  endowments. 

Early  Religious  Organizations. — Ministers  of  the  Presbyterian  and 
the  Baptist  Churches  appeared  about  the  same  time  in  Monticello,  and  at 
a  very  early  day.  It  is  stated  that  Robert  Rothrock  often  said  that  the 
first  sermon  preached  in  Monticello  was  about  the  time  the  town  was  laid 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  109 

out,  which  would  be  in  the  autumn  of  1834.  A  circuit  rider  named 
Stalker,  a  very  worthy  man,  and  a  consistent  Christian,  who  preached  day 
and  night  nearly  all  the  time,  traveling  around  from  cabin  to  cabin,  and 
collecting  at  each  place  what  the  settlers  were  disposed  to  give  him,  held 
an  open-air  meeting  about  where  Mr.  Heckendorn's  residence  stands,  his 
pulpit  being  a  little  mound  of  earth  near  a  small  patch  of  hazel  brush,  and 
his  congregation  being  limited  to  about  a  half-dozen  persons.  This  man 
visited  the  county  seat  after  that  about  once  a  month  until  February, 
1836,  when  a  small  class  was  formally  organized,  a  number  of  members 
joining  by  letter  and  a  few  by  their  confession  of  faith.  The  following 
were  the  first  members :  Zebulon  Sheets  and  his  wife,  mother  and  son ; 
John  Reese  and  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  and  his  mother,  Margaret,  and  his 
sisters  Martha  and  Elizabeth  ;  Okey  S.  Johnson  and  Rebecca,  his  wife, 
and  Catharine,  his  sister;  Lewis  Dawson;  Bethsheba  Cowan  and  her  three 
daughters,  Rhoda,  Bethsheba  and  Margaret ;  Jonathan  Harbolt  and  wife, 
Asa  Allen  and  his  wife,  Mary  Ann.  Perhaps  a  few  others  were  among 
the  first  members.  Others  who  joined  immediately  afterward  were  Mrs. 
Parker,  Maria  Wilson  and  John  Wilson.  This  class  met  after  this  quite 
regularly  at  Wilson's  cabin,  west  of  town,  though  often  at  the  houses  of 
other  members.  As  soon  as  the  old  schoolhouse  was  completed,  services 
were  held  there  the  most  of  the  time.  M.  M.  Sill  says  this  house  was 
erected  in  1835,  but  others  fix  the  date  a  year  later.  The  writer  inclines 
to  the  latter  opinion.  In  1837,  the  membership  had  become  sufficient  to 
warrant  some  action  regarding  the  erection  of  a  church.  The  County 
Commissioners  were  asked  to  donate  a  suitable  lot,  which  they  did  under 
the  following  conditions  :  The  house  to  be  finished  and  ready  for  occu- 
pancy within  two  years,  or  the  lot  to  revert  to  the  county.  The  members 
and  all  others  interested  were  asked  to  subscribe  what  they  felt  able  to 
give,  and  it  seemed  at  first  as  if  the  construction  of  the  house  was  a  cer- 
tainty, but  some  of  the  most  prominent  members  refused  to  assist  in  erect- 
ing the  building  on  land  which  had  some  chance  of  reverting  to  the  coun- 
ty, and  finally  the  whole  attempt  was  abandoned. 

Nothing  further  of  note  transpired  until  January,  1843,  when  Rev. 
Samuel  N.  Steele,  an  eloquent  evangelist,  came  to  the  town  and  began 
holding  a  series  of  revival  meetings,  advocating  in  a  most  effective  man- 
ner the  doctrines  of  the  New  School  Presbyterians.  It  was  a  time  of  the 
most  fervent  religious  zeal,  and  within  two  months  the  class  formed  num- 
bered nearly  one  hundred  members,  drawing  its  supply  from  the  Old 
School  Presbyterians,  the  Baptists,  the  Methodists  and  from  the  ranks  of 
Atheism  and  other  non-professional  organizations.  Among  the  first  to 
join  the  new  class  were  Thomas  Downey,  Catharine  Downey,  John  Wil- 
son, Maria  Wilson,  Okey  S.  Johnson,  Rebecca  Johnson,  Ellis  11.  John- 


110  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

son,  Catharine  Rothrock,  Mary  Reynolds,  Jane  Reynolds,  Catharine 
Johnson,  Elizabeth  Burns  and  Sarah  Kepperling.  This  really  constitut- 
ed the  first  class,  though  others  joined  at  meetings  held  the  same  even- 
ing and  the  following  day  and  days.  Among  these  members  were  J.  C. 
Reynolds,  H.  R.  Wagoner,  E.  W,  K.  Beck,  Sarah  Snyder,  Hannah 
Johnson,  Jane  Rank,  L.  Meredith,  Caroline  Bott,  Susan  Shuck,  Susan 
Ream,  Harriet  Ream,  Isaac  Reynolds,  George  Snyder,  John  Turner, 
William  Turner,  Mary  Turner,  Perry  Turner,  Samuel  Burns,  Martha 
Burns,  Mary  Burns,  G.  W.  Bank,  J.  W.  Johnson,  Richard  Imes,  Will- 
iam Imes,  William  Braught,  Nancy  Price,  Nancy  Ream,  E.  C.  Ream,  J. 
A.  Clark,  Angeline  Clark,  C.  W.  Kendall,  Margaret  Logan,  Mary  Logan 
and  many  others.  The  two  classes  of  Presbyterians — Old  School  and 
New  School — began  building  churches  about  the  same  time — in  1843  ; 
but  the  latter  being  much  the  stronger,  completed  its  house  in  1844,  while 
the  former  did  not  complete  its  work  until  three  or  four  years  later.  Both 
were  frame  houses  ;  one  is  now  used  by  the  Baptists  and  the  other  is  used 
as  a  barn  by  Dr.  Robinson,  near  the  center  of  the  town.  The  latter  was 
the  New  School  Church.     The  lots  were  donated  by  the  county. 

Zebulon  Sheets  was  the  first  Elder  of  the  Old  School  class,  having 
been  elected  in  1836.  H.  R.  Wagoner  and  Hannah  Johnson  were  the 
first  baptized.  At  the  time  the  New  School  class  was  formed,  the  Old 
School  class  was  reduced  to  thirteen  members,  and  the  Baptists  and 
Methodists  suffered  likewise.  Rev.  W.  M.  Cheever  succeeded  Steele  as 
pastor  of  the  New  School  class,  and  was,  in  turn,  succeeded  in  1848  by 
Rev.  G.  D.  Miller.  Rev.  Lowery,  a  missionary,  visited  the  Presby- 
terians as  early  as  1835.  He  conducted  his  meetings  at  the  cabin  of 
Orwig.  Among  the  New  School  ministers  were  Neal,  McBride,  Black, 
Wilmer,  Jones,  Seewright  and  J.  B.  Smith.  The  classes  continued 
separate  until  about  twelve  years  ago,  when  they  were  united.  The  new 
brick  church,  which  is  yet  unfinished,  though  occupied,  has  already  cost 
$12,000,  and  will  cost  an  additional  $3,000  before  completed.  It  is  one 
of  the  finest  edifices  of  the  kind  in  Northern  Indiana.  Among  the  Old 
School  ministers  were  Edwards,  Williamson,  Wampler,  Kouts,  Irvin. 
Sunday  schools  were  organized  soon  after  the  classes  were  established. 
Mr.  Heckendorn  relates  that  at  one  of  the  early  Presbyterian  meetings, 
four  or  five  Indians  entered,  took  seats  and  remained  attentive  listeners 
until  the  conclusion  of  the  service,  when  they  shouldered  their  rifles  and 
departed. 

In  1835,  Father  Brousdenberg,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
preached  in  Orwig's  combined  store  and  dwelling,  and  organized  a  class, 
the  first  members  being  Richard  Worthington,  Mary  Worthington,  Ruth 
Cowger,  Rebecca  Cowger  and  Sarah  A,  Cowger.     Worthington  was  the 


UNION  TOWNSHir.  Ill 

first  class  leader.  Jonathan  and  Margaret  Ritchey  and  Boyd  Ritchey 
soon  joined ;  Amaranda  Botts,  Mary  A.  Botts,  Catharine  Botts,  Ma- 
tilda Botts,  Margaret  Harbolt,  Martha  Reese,  Catharine  Hartman,  Har- 
riet Hartman,  Mrs.  Alfred  Reed,  Thomas  Bushnell  and  wife,  the  Hana- 
walts,  the  Spencers,  the  Rifenberricks.  Among  the  ministers  have  been 
Revs.  Bruce,  Hargrave,  Smith,  Ritchey,  Reed,  Enoch  and  Joseph  Wood, 
Greene,  Kessler,  Sheridan,  Boyd,  Parcels,  Clearwater,  Hascall,  Comstock, 
Holstock,  Burgner,  Hayes,  Mason,  Leach,  Johnson.  The  church  was 
built  about  the  year  1850,  and  cost  $1,500.  The  same  frame  structure 
is  yet  in  use,  though  it  has  been  remodeled  several  times.  Sunday  school 
was  early  organized.  The  class  has  had  many  noted  revivals.  Its  pres- 
ent pastor,  Mr.  Johnson,  is  a  man  of  earnest  piety  and  unusual  ability, 
though  suffering  somewhat  from  ill  health.  The  class  is  strong,  and  is 
doing  much  good.     The  old  records  could  not  be  found. 

The  Baptists  started  up  about  1837.  Elders  Miner,  Corbin  and 
Reese,  or  one  of  them,  organizing  the  class.  Among  the  early  members 
were  Daniel  Tilton,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Sill,  Mr.  Franklin,  Mr.  Kerr,  G.  A. 
Spencer,  John  Hughes  and  others.  The  meetings  were  held  in  the  old 
schoolhouse,  and  later  in  the  other  churches.  About  fifteen  years  ago, 
Daniel  Tilton,  George  D.  Washburn,  Mrs.  Hull  and  William  T.  Graves 
bought  the  Old  School  Presbyterian  Church  for  $500.  The  house  was 
moved,  fitted  up,  and  the  class,  which  had  formerly  had  a  hard  time  to 
live,  revived  its  energy  under  the  ministration  of  George  D.  Washburn, 
an  excellent  man.  Among  the  Baptist  ministers  of  later  years  were 
John  Dunham,  French,  Kerr,  Duley  and  Alford.  The  class  is  so  reduced 
that  only  occasional  meetings  are  now  held.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
old  records  could  not  be  found,  a  more  extended  account  cannot  be  given. 

The  Catholics,  a  branch  of  the  church  at  Reynolds,  started  up  a  few 
years  ago,  and  built  a  small  church,  at  a  cost  of  about  $700.  Among 
the  families  connected,  are  those  of  David  Mahony,  Steits,  Witz,  Stayre, 
Ewalt  and  others.     The  class  is  slowly  growing. 


112  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

BY    ED    A.     MOBSMAN. 

Prairie  Township — First  Settler — Creation  of  Township — First 
Election — Early  Land-Holders — Pioneer  Schools— First  Birth, 
Marriage  and  Death — Springboro — Early  Mills — Churches 
— Brookston — Surface  Features — Brookston  Academy — The 
Press. 

PRAIRIE  TOWNSHIP  contains  less  unoccupied  and  unimproved 
lands,  perhaps,  than  almost  any  of  the  neighboring  townships.  Yet 
it  contains  so  large  an  amount  of  such  lands  that  it  is  difficult  to  believe, 
in  connection  with  this  fact,  that  many  of  the  men  and  women  who  are 
residing  here,  and  whose  locks  are  fast  becoming  silvered  o'er  with  the 
hoar-frost  of  time,  first  beheld  the  light,  and  breathed  the  breath  of  life 
within  its  borders.  In  view  of  the  rapidity  with  which  the  native  pop- 
ulation of  our  country  is  increasing,  and  of  the  large  accessions  that  it 
is  annually  receiving  from  foreign  countries,  it  is  truly  amazing  that  any 
portion  of  our  country,  and  especially  so  fertile  and  healthful  a  portion  of 
it  as  this  is,  should  become  populated  so  tardily.  In  this,  however,  Prairie 
Township  has  not  been  behind  other  townships,  in  this  or  other  counties. 
She  has  always  been  abreast  of  the  times.  How  inconceivably  vast  must 
our  country  be,  in  which  so  many  millions  of  people  can  find  homes;  and 
yet,  such  large  areas  of  as  good  land  as  the  sun  shines  upon,  remain  for 
so  many  years  unoccupied  ! 

Settlement. — The  settlement  in  this  township  was  begun  in  1829  ; 
and  it  is  to  Royal  Hazelton  that  the  honor  is  due  of  leading  the  van.  He 
was  the  first  permanent  settler  of  the  township,  if  not,  in  fact,  of  the 
county  ;  and,  it  is  not  positively  known  that  he  was  preceded  by  any,  even 
by  the  two  or  three,  transient  settlers  who  came  about  the  same  time. 
John  Ault  and  a  man  named  Willis,  neither  of  whom  remained  long  in 
the  township,  came  about  the  same  time  that  Hazelton  came  ;  but  whether 
they  preceded  him  or  not  is  not  known.  Ault  settled  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  township,  where  he  erected  a  pole  shanty,  in  which  he  lived 
with  his  family,  for  a  period  of  about  three  months,  and  then  moved 
thence  to  Big  Creek  Township.  Willis  made  some  slight  improvements, 
and  then  removed  no  one  knows  whither.  Mr.  Hazelton  settled  upon 
the  southeast  quarter  of  Section  22,  where  he  erected  the  first 
house  that  was  ever  erected  in  Prairie  Township.  It  was  sixteen  feet  in 
length',  by  fourteen    feet  in   width,  and   was  made  of  round  logs.       The 


PRAIRIE   TOWNSHIP.  113 

roof  was  of  clapboards,  and  the  floor  of  puncheons.  In  brief,  it  was  sim- 
ilar, in  all  its  leading  features,  to  the  rude  log  houses  erected  by  the 
early  settlers  in  general,  and  which  have  been  so  often  described  in  this 
history  that  a  more  specific  description  of  it  is  not  deemed  necessary. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  that  the}''  were  such  rudely  constructed  aff"airs  that  it 
would  be  difficult  to  give  a  description  that  would  convey  anything  like  an 
adequate  idea  of  their  rudeness.  They  were  so  insignificant,  in  compar- 
ison with  the  superb  mansions  of  to-day,  that  there  are  scores,  no  doubt, 
of  young  people  in  the  township  to-lay  who  would  not  deign  to 
enter  such  a  house  as  those  in  which  their  parents  learned  to  repeat  their 
"  Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep,"  etc. 

Creation  of  Township. — Prairie  Township  was  created  by  anoi'derof 
the  County  Commissioners,  made  on  the  19th  day  of  July,  1834,  and  em- 
braced Congressional  Township  No.  25,  "  and  all  territory  there- 
to attached."  This  township  originally  contained  one  hundred  and 
two  square  miles,  or  sixty-five  thousand  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres, 
and  was  bounded  on  the  north  by  Big  Creek  Township  ;  on  the  east  by 
Carroll  County  ;  on  the  south  by  Tippecanoe  County  ;  and  on  the  west 
by  Benton  County.  Thus  the  boundaries  remained  until  1854  when 
West  Point  Township,  which  was  at  that  time  created  from  a  portion  of 
the  original  township  of  Big  Creek,  became  a  part  of  the  northern  bound- 
ary. No  further  changes  were  made  in  the  boundary  lines  until  1858, 
at  which  time  Round  Grove  Township  was  stricken  off  from  the  western 
portion  of  Prairie  Township,  leaving  the  boundaries  as  they  now  are. 
This  township  as  at  present  constituted  has  an  area  of  sixty-six  square 
miles,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  West  Point  and  Big  Creek  Town- 
ships ;  on  the  east  by  Carroll  County  ;  on  the  south  by  Tippecanoe 
County ;  and  on  the  west  by  Round  Grove  Township.  It  was  further 
ordered  by  the  board  that  all  elections  held  in  the  township  during  the 
first  year  be  held  at  the  house  of  William  Woods,  and  Solomon  Mc- 
Colloch  was  appointed  Inspector  of  Elections  ;  Samuel  Smeltzer,  Super- 
visor of  Roads  ;  William  Walter,  Overseer  of  the  Poor ;  and  Samuel 
Alkire  and  William  Phillips,  Fence  Viewers.  Among  the  early  settlers 
of  the  township  were  James  Wright,  Edmund  Wright,  J.  C.  Moore, 
Samuel  Smeltzer,  Samuel  Alkire,  John  Barr,  Robert  Barr,  Aaron  Yar- 
nell,  Adam  Best,  Mr.  Hornbeck,  Joseph  Price,  James  Kent,  Clark  Little, 
John  Beauchamp,  Andrew  Wilson,  Joseph  Bostick,  Joseph  Garrett,  John 
Little,  John  Hornbeck,  James  Smith,  William  Woods,  Henry  Little, 
Jackson  Alkire,  James  Hayes,  John  Gay  and  James  Gay.  The  exact 
dates  when  the  above-named  men  settled  in  the  township  cannot  be  ascer- 
tained. There  were  two  settlements  begun  in  the  township  at  about  the 
same  time,  one  in  the  eastern,  and  the  other  in  the  southeastern  portion. 


114  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

It  is  more  than  probable  that  those  portions  of  the  township  were  settled 
first,  for  the  reason  that  timber  for  building  purposes  could  be  procured 
here,  whilst  in  the  more  central  and  western  portions  it  could  not,  as  the 
land  in  those  portions  was  principally  prairie  land.  Indians  were  quite 
numerous  here  at  the  time  of  the  advent  of  the  early  settlers,  and  traces 
of  their  burial  places  were  discoverable  for  many  years  after  the  first  oc- 
cupancy of  the  country  by  whites.  In  two  instances,  skeletons  of  pap- 
ooses were  discovered  in  hollow  limbs  of  large  trees  five  years  after  the 
founding  of  the  first  settlement. 

Early  Poll  Lists. — At  an  election  held  at  the  house  of  William 
Woods  on  the  6th  day  of  April,  18B5,  under  the  direction  of  Solomon 
McColloch,  Inspector,  the  following  men  voted :  Charles  Wright, 
Thomas  C.  Smith,  Solomon  McColloch,  John  Barr,  George  Brown, 
William  Gay,  Jr.,  Daniel  Brown,  Ezekial  W.  Brown,  William  Woods, 
William  Watson,  William  Sill,  James  Gay,  Henry  Smeltzer  and  John 
Gay.  The  Judges  were  Charles  Wright  and  Thomas  C.  Smith,  and  the 
Clerks,  John  Barr  and  William  Gay.  For  Justice  of  the  Peace,  William 
Wood  received  thirteen  votes  ;  for  Constable,  Daniel  Brown  received  four- 
teen votes  ;  for  Supervisor  of  Roads,  Solomon  McCulloch  and  John  Barr 
received  fourteen  votes  each ;  for  Overseers  of  the  Poor,  William  Gay 
and  William  Phillips  received  fourteen  votes  each,  and  for  Fence  Viewers 
William  Smeltzer  and  John  E.  Metcalf  received  thirteen  votes  each. 
William  Gay  was  elected  Inspector  of  Elections. 

At  an  election  held  at  the  house  of  William  Woods,  on  Monday, 
August  3,  1835,  the  following  men  cast  their  ballots:  Royal  Hazelton, 
John  Barr,  John  Young,  John  Barr,  Jr.,  Simon  Hornbeck,  Oliver  Ham- 
mond, James  Barr,  Robert  Barr,  William  Woods,  Benjamin  Newell,  John 
Blair,  Elisha  Bowles,  Joseph  Bostick,  Solomon  McCulloch,  Willis  Pherly, 
James  Gay,  John  Price,  William  Gay,  James  Kent,  John  Gay,  James  C. 
Moore,  Simeon  Smith,  John  E.  Metcalf,  Joseph  Sayre,  Thomas  Sutton 
and  Samuel  Smeltzer. 

Three  years  later,  or  on  the  first  Monday  in  August,  1838,  the  fol-' 
lowing  men  voted  :  John  Kelley,  Solomon  McCulloch,  Allen  Davis, 
John  Barr,  Sr.,  Samuel  Alkire,  Thomas  Harvey,  Jacob  Dauser,  Michael 
Alkire,  John  Mason,  Alfred  Barr,  Thomas  C.  Smith,  William  Gay,  Jr., 
Aaron  Beauchamp,  John  Davis,  Robert  Newell,  Robert  Barr,  William 
Kennedy,  Aaron  McLaflin,  Joseph  Sayre,  John  Young,  James  Gay, 
William  Woods,  Thomas  Hazelton,  John  Barr,  Jr.,  James  K.  Woods, 
James  Mills,  Thomas  Emery,  Andrew  Wilson,  Samuel  Smeltzer,  0.  S. 
Wilson,  James  McKean,  Robert  Hott,  Thomas  Reynolds  and  John  Beau- 
champ.  The  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  elected  in  Prairie  Township  was 
Royal  Hazelton,  who  was  elected  whilst  this  portion  of  White  County 


THI  NEW  YOKK 
VlBKAHY 


PRAIRIE   TOWNSHIP.  117 

yet  constituted  a  portion  of  Carroll  County.  The  returns  of  the  election 
at  which  he  was  elected  are  on  file  at  Delphi,  the  county  seat  of  Carroll 
County. 

First  Land- Holders. — The  following  are  the  names  of  some  of  those 
who  first  purchased  or  entered  land  in  Prairie  Township  :  Jesse  L.  Wat- 
son, 80  acres,  in  Section  3,  November  14,  1829  ;  William  Phillips,  80 
acres,  in  Section  26,  November  13,  1829;  Jesse  Johnson,  80  acres,  in 
Section  26,  November  13,  1829 ;  William  Kennedy,  80  acfes,  in  Section 
34,  November  13,  1829;  Robert  Barr,  80  acres,  in  Section  36,  Novem- 
ber 13,  1829;  Bazil  Clevenger,  80  acres,  in  Section  33,  February  19, 
1830 ;  Charles  Wright,  80  acres,  in  Section  22,  April  29,  1830 ;  John 
E.  Metcalf,  84  acres,  in  Section  17,  November  2,  1830;  Frederick  Smith, 
146  acres,  in  Section  31,  November  2,  1830 ;  Robert  Harvey,  80  acres, 
in  Section  31,  July  1,  1831  ;  Christian  Church,  80  acres,  in  Section  32, 
November  2,  1830 ;  John  Graham,  80  acres,  in  Section  5,  November  2, 
1830 ;  Robert  Graham,  80  acres,  in  Section  5,  November  2,  1830 ;  Peter 
Alkire,  80  acres,  in  Section  5,  November  2,  1830 ;  Solomon  McColloch, 
78  acres,  in  Section  29,  August  13,  1832 ;  William  Gay,  160  acres,  in 
Section  29,  August  17,  1832;  James  Gay,  40  acres,  in  Section  32, 
August  17,  1832;  William  Gay,  Jr.,  40  acres,  in  Section  31, 
August  23,  1832 ;  John  Beecher,  40  acres,  in  Section  31,  March  5, 
1833 ;  John  Young,  80  acres,  in  Section  17,  May  19,  1834  ;  Daniel 
Brown,  50  acres,  in  Section  18,  October  18,  1834 ;  Jacob  W.  Brooks,  80 
acres,  in  Section  20,  July  3,  1834 ;  Isaac  Thomas,  80  acres,  in  Section 
29,  January  27,  1834.  The  first  purchases  of  land  in  the  township  were 
made  exclusively  in  the  eastern  part.  The  settlement  of  the  prairie  land, 
in  the  western  part  of  the  township,  did  not  begin  until  the  year  1849. 
Of  those  who  settled  in  the  township  prior  to  1835,  there  are  but  few 
survivors.  The  few  that  remain  have  grown  so  decrepit,  so  bowed  and 
stiffened  with  age,  that  as  we  gaze  upon  them,  and  reflect  upon  the  fact 
that  they  were  once  the  stout-hearted  and  strong-bodied  pioneers  of  this 
township,  who  so  heroically  battled  against  the  hardships  of  frontier  life, 
and  overcame  them,  we  are  impelled  to  exclaim,  in  the  language  of  the 
poet, 

"  I  often  think  each  tottering  form 
That  limps  along  in  life's  decline, 
Once  bore  a  heart  as  young  and  warm, 
And  full  of  idle  thoughts  as  mine." 

The  hoary  locks,  the  palsied  hand,  the  quaking  voice  and  the  general 
aspect  of  languor,  all  seem  to  say,  with  greater  emphasis  than  words  could 

give, 

"  I  feel  more  like  restin'  than  workin',  and  every  year  that  goes  by 
'Pears  to  tells  me  I'd  better  be  careful,  and  leaves  me  a  trifle  less  spry." 

8 


118  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

Pioneer  Schools. — The  first  school  in  the  township  was  taught  about 
one  mile  southeast  of  Brookston,  in  a  cabin  built  of  small,  round  logs. 
This  first  schoolhouse  was  very  rudely  constructed,  as  were  all  the  school- 
houses  in  this  section  of  country,  in  those  early  days  ;  yet,  it  was  so  from 
necesiity  and  not  from  choice.  Those  early  settlers  were  as  solicitous  for 
the  welfare  of  their  children  as  are  the  parents  of  to-day  for  the  welfare 
of  theirs ;  and,  in  so  far  as  their  limited  means  would  permit,  they  pro- 
vided as  well  for  their  comfort  and  well-being.  Therefore,  let  no  jeering 
or  contemptuous  remarks  be  indulged  in  touching  those  early  institutions 
of  learning.  Some  of  the  foremost  men  in  our  nation  to-day  received  no 
other  school  education  than  what  they  obtained  in  just  such  schoolhouses. 
This  house  was  quite  small ;  and  in  this,  also,  as  well  as  in  being  of  rude 
construction,  it  was  similar  to  most  other  schoolhouses  of  that  period  ; 
yet,  as  the  country  was  at  that  time  but  sparsely  settled,  and  as  there 
were  many,  especially  among  the  poorer  class,  who  could  not  spare  their 
children  from  home  after  they  became  old  enough  to  work,  it  is  obvious  that 
the  attendance  must  have  been  small,  and  that  a  large  house  was  not  required. 
And  "  ye  pedagogue  of  ye  olden  time,"  who,  that  once  has  seen  him,  can- 
not, forever  after,  call  him  up  at  will,  before  his  mind's  eye?  On  the 
morning  appointed  for  school  to  begin,  the  hour  for  "  books  "  having  ar- 
rived, he  opens  the  door,  takes  a  piece  of  clapboard  (they  had  no  bells 
then),  and  with  it  gives  a  dozen  or  more  raps  on  the  door,  lustily,  and  in 
quick  succession.  This,  as  is  understood  by  all,  is  the  signal  for  "books." 
When  all  are  in  their  places,  and  silence  reigns,  this  pedagogue  of  the 
olden  time,  with  austerity  depicted  in  every  lineament  of  his  features  (not 
that  he  is,  at  heart,  the  cannibal  that  he  seems  ;  but  the  character  is  as- 
sumed, for  the  purpose  of  inspiring  in  the  minds  of  his  pupils  respect  for 
his  authority),  assumes  a  position  in  front  of  this  awe-stricken  assemblage 
of  terrigenous  toilers  in  the  mines  of  knowledge,  and  seems  to  promul- 
gate the  fact  that  they  have  assembled  for  the  purpose  of  beginning  a 
three- months  term  of  school  (their  terms  of  school  never  extended 
beyond  three  months  in  those  days),  and  expresses  the  hope  that  they  will 
all  get  along  harmoniously  together,  and  that  all  will  be  obedient  to  the 
"rules,"  and  endeavor  to  so  improve  their  time  that  they  will  have  no  cause 
to  regret,  in  after  life,  having  spent  in  idle  folly  the  precious  moments 
that  are  now  theirs,  but  which,  once  lost,  are  lost  forever.  After  thus  ex- 
patiating for  a  half  hour  or  so,  and  touching  upon  the  subjects  of  the 
paramount  importance  of  obtaining  an  education,  the  rapidity  of  time's 
flight,  and  the  necessity  of  catching  it  as  it  flies,  he  takes  from  his  pocket 
a  paper,  and  proceeds  to  read  to  them  therefrom  the  lex  scripta  by  which 
this  monarchy  in  miniature  is  to  be  governed.  Snow-balling,  fighting, 
chewing   tobacco  in  the  house,  profanity,  obscenity,  and  pretty  nearly 


PIIAIRIE   TOWNSHIP.  119 

everything  that  is  malum  in  se,  as  well  as  many  things  that  are  malum 
prohibitum  only,  are  embraced  in  the  long  list  of  things  that  are  pro- 
hibited, together  with  manj'  mandatory  injunctions.  After  these  "rules" 
are  read  to  the  school,  he  tacks  them  upon  the  door,  on  the  inside,  in 
order,  probably,  that  he  may  have  no  qualms  of  conscience  in  enforcing 
the  principle  of  law  that  ignorantia  legis  neminem  excusant  (ignorance  of 
the  law  excuses  no  one),  and  woe  betide  the  boy  who  has  the  temerity  to 
pull  it  down,  just  to  show  that  he  "  isn't  afraid  to."  After  these  prole- 
gomenary  proceedings  are  ended,  the  regular  routine  work  of  searching 
for  nuggets  of  knowledge  begins.  The  school  being  now  opened,  the 
reader  is  left  to  close  it  whon  and  as  he  chooses.  As  most  of  the  early 
settlers  were  poor  men,  they  were  under  the  necessity  of  keeping  their 
children  at  home  and  at  work,  when  the  weather  was  not  too  inclement. 
Consequently,  their  opportunities  for  obtaining  an  education  were  very 
limited,  and  their  education  was  correspondingly  limited.  Their  cur- 
riculum embraced  spelling,  reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  oace  in 
awhile  geography,  and,  once  in  a  long  while,  grammar.  There  were  no 
class  recitations  in  any  of  the  branches  except  in  spelling  and  reading. 
However  deficient  their  education  was,  as  regards  the  higher  branches,  it 
is  true  that  they  were  generally  good  spellers.  This  was  their  chief 
pride,  and  in  this  they  were  not  far  behind  (if  behind  at  all)  the  pupils  of 
these  modern  days.  The  young  man  who  had  mastered  the  arithmetic 
was  considered  a  prodigy  of  learning.  The  gentleman  who  taught  this 
first  school  bore  the  classic  cognomen  of  Harrison.  The  second  school 
was  taught  in  the  same  neighborhood  in  a  small,  log-cabin  schoolhouse, 
by  Royal  Hazelton,  the  man  who  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  settler  of 
Prairie  Township. 

First  Birth,  Marriage  and  Death. — Anna  Wright  (now  Browning), 
who  was  born  in  the  year  1830,  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  the 
township.  As  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained,  Leavenworth  Willis  and 
Delana  Hazelton  were  the  first  couple  married  in  the  township,  and  the 
first  death  was  that  of  Mrs.  Phillips,  who  died  in  1829  or  1830. 

Springhoro. — In  the  early  history  of  this  township,  there  was  an 
efibrt  made  to  built  up  a  town  in  the  eastern  part  of  it,  and  some  ad- 
vancement was  made  in  that  direction;  but  owing  to  the  fact  of  other 
towns  springing  up  in  the  vicinity,  having  superior  facilities,  the  project 
failed.  It  was  situated  about  five  miles  east  of  Brookston,  and  was  called 
Springboro.  The  first  house  erected  in  this  town,  was  built  by  a  man 
named  Trantler,  who  also  kept  the  first  grocery  in  the  place.  There  is 
a  grocery  there  yet,  which  is  kept  by  the  firm  of  Lizby  &  Brown. 

Masonic  Lodge. — Brookston  Lodge,  No.  66,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was 
organized  at  Pittsburg,  in  Carroll   County,    in  1848,    and   worked   on 


120  HISTORY   OF   WHITE   COUNTY. 

dispensation  until  May,  1849,  at  which  time  a  charter  was  granted  them. 
In  1857,  the  lodge  was  removed  to  Brookston,  where  it  is  now  located. 
All  the  records  of  the  lodge  were  destroyed  by  fire  in  1857.  In  1858,  they 
erected  a  very  neat  and  commodious  hall,  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,500,  besides 
which  they  have  other  lodge  property  of  the  value  of  about  $200.  The 
lodge  has  about  forty-five  active  members.  Present  officers:  J.  J. 
Bright,  W.  M. ;  David  Cochran,  S.  W. ;  William  Staton,  J.  W. ; 
Benton  Thompson,  Treasurer;  A.  S.  Borden,  Secretary.  Regular  meet- 
ings, first  and  third  Saturday  nights  in  each  month.  Trustees,  K.  J. 
Mills,  John  Medaris  and  Jerry  Murphy. 

Early  Mills. — The  first  saw  mill  in  this  township  was  erected  in  Sec- 
tion 31,  on  Moots'  Creek,  by  Robert  Barr,  in  1838.  It  had  an  up-and- 
down  saw,  which  went  up  and  down  as  regularly  as  the  sun  rose 
and  set,  and  pretty  nearly  as  often.  The  creek  was  dammed  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  above  where  the  mill  was  located,  and  a  race  construct- 
ed. In  the  spring  when  the  water  was  high,  this  mill  did  a  flourahing 
business.  At  this  mill  was  sawed  much  of  the  lumber  that  was  used  in 
the  construction  of  many  of  the  early  improvements  in  the  eastern  part  of 
Prairie  Township,  and  the  country  round  about.  The  enterprise  was  con- 
tinued for  about  ten  years,  and  then  abandoned.  Some  of  the  old 
timbers  remain  to  mark  the  spot  where  this  first  saw  mill  of  the  township 
was  erected.  The  second  and  last  saw  mill  in  the  township  was  built  in  the 
Gay  settlement,  by  P.  M.  Kent,  about  the  year  1862,  and  continued  in 
operation  some  four  or  five  years.  There  was,  in  connection  with  this 
saw  mill,  a  small  grist  mill,  which  ground  wheat  and  corn  for  about  one 
year,   when  the  enterprise  was  abandoned  as  a  financial  failure. 

Qhurches. — The  first  ministers  who  sowed  the  seed  of  divine  faith  in 
this  portion  of  the  globe  terrigenous  were  Adam  Best  and  Aaron  Yarnell, 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  persuasion;  and  the  first  services  were  held 
at  the  house  of  J.  C.  Moore,  somewhere  near  the  site  of  his  present  resi- 
dence. Near  the  same  place,  in  a  hewed-log  schoolhouse  built  by  J.  C. 
Moore,  the  first  class  in  the  township  was  organized.  This  organization 
was  effected  by  a  one-eyed  minister,  whose  name  could  not  be  ascertained. 
Some  of  the  members  of  this  class  were  Philip  Davis,  John  Davis  and 
wife,  and  Joseph  Bostick  and  his  wife  and  son.  The  first  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  the  township  was  erected  about  the  year  1844, 
about  two  miles  southwest  of  Brookston.  It  was  a  frame  building,  the 
size  of  which  was  about"  thirty -six  by  forty- two  feet.  The  Rev.  Stallard 
was  the  first  minister.  The  church  is  without  a  regular  pastor  at  present 
Just  when  the  Baptist  Church  was  organized  could  not  be  ascertained. 
In  1870,  they  bought  the  old  schoolhouse  in  Brookston,  for  $600,  and 
converted  it  (not  in  a  spiritual  sense),  into  a  temple   of  worship.     They 


PRAIRIE   TOWNSHIP.  121 

had  been  holding  their  meetings  in  this  same  building  previous  to  the  time 
of  their  purchase  of  it.  Rev.  Tedford  is  the  present  pastor  of  this  church. 
The  Christian  Church,  located  about  five  miles  east  of  Brookston,  is  a 
very  neat  frame  building,  thirty  feet  in  width  by  forty-eight  feet  in 
length,  and  was  completed  in  November,  1882,  at  a  cost  of  .^1,250.  Rev. 
Lilly  is  the  present  pastor. 

Brookston. — The  town  of  Brookston,  a  neat,  sprightly  and  nour- 
ishing little  town,  situated  near  the  center  of  the  township,  on  the  line  of 
the  Louisville,  New  Albany  &  Chicago  Railroad,  and  which  has  at  present 
a  population  of  about  650,  was  laid  out  and  platted  April  26,  1853,  by 
Benjamin  Gonzales,  Isaac  Reynolds  and  Joel  B.  McFarland.  The  town 
is  situated  upon  the  northwest  quarter  and  the  west  half  of  the  north- 
east quarter  of  Section  22.  The  blocks,  numbered  from  1  to  32,  both 
inclusive,  are  laid  off  into  lots,  each  fifty  feet  front,  by  one  hundred 
and  forty  feet  deep.  The  blocks  numbered  1,  8,  25  and  32  contain  four 
lots  each.  The  lots  numbered  from  2  to  7,  both  inclusive,  and  from  26 
to  31,  both  inclusive,  contain  six  lots  each.  The  blocks  numbered  9, 
16,  17  and  25,  contain  eight  lots  each  ;  and  the  lots  numbered 
from  10  to  15,  both  inclusive,  and  from  18  to  23,  both  inclusive, 
contain  twelve  lots  each.  The  lots  marked  A  and  E  are  each  one 
hundred  feet  wide  by  two  hundred  feet  long  ;  and  the  lots  marked 
B,  C  and  D,  respectively,  are  each  one  hundred  feet  wide  by  three 
hundred  feet  long.  Railroad  street  is  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  wide. 
Prairie  street.  South  street.  North  street  and  Wood  street  are  each 
seventy  feet  wide.  First,  Second,  Third,  Fourth,  Fifth,  Sixth  and  Sev- 
enth streets  are  each  sixty  feet  wide ;  and  the  alleys  are  each  twenty 
feet  wide.  First  to  Seventh  street,  both  inclusive,  run  east  and  west ;  First 
street  on  the  north  side  of  the  plat,  and  numbered  to  the  south.  Prairie, 
Railroad,  South  and  Wood  run  north  and  south  ;  Prairie  on  the  west,  and 
thence  east  in  the  order  named.  The  strip  of  ground  lying  between 
Blocks  A  and  B,  being  one  hundred  feet  wide,  is  not  dedicated  to  the 
public,  but  is  reserved  by  the  proprietors.  The  blocks  are  numbered 
from  the  northwest  corner  of  the  plat,  down  the  west  side  of  Prairie 
street ;  then  north,  between  Prairie  and  Railroad  ;  then  south,  between 
South  and  Wood,  and  then  north,  on  the  east  side  of  Wood.  Blocks  A, 
B,  C,  D  and  E  are  between  South  and  Railroad  streets;  A  north  of 
First,  and  B,  C,  D  and  E  south  of  Fourth  street.  There  are  two  alleys 
— one  between  Prairie  and  Railroad,  and  one  between  South  and  Wood 
streets.  The  following  additions  have  been  made  at  various  times:  Hayes' 
Addition  of  sixteen  lots,  by  S.  Hayes,  January  24,  1854 ;  Moore's 
Addition  of  seventy  lots,  by  J.  C.  Moore,  January  28,  1851;  Brown  & 
Barnard's   Addition    of   twenty-four  lots,  by  E.  A.    Brown   and  Obed 


122  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

Barnard,  August  10,  1868;  Robinson's  Addition  of  thirty  lots,  by  J. 
W.  Robinson,  August  26,  1868.  The  want  of  space  precludes  the  giv- 
ing of  a  more  detailed  description  of  those  additions.  Eli  Myers  built 
the  first  house  that  was  erected  within  the  town  plat.  The  first  store  in 
the  town  was  kept  by  a  man  named  Kane,  who  also  was  the  first  Post- 
master, and  the  first  railroad  agent.  He  commenced  in  1852  and  con- 
tinued about  one  year.  The  second  store  was  kept  by  John  Bross.  . 
John  Best  was  the  first  blacksmith  in  the  town.  The  third  store  was 
owned  by  Colton  &  Mason.  The  first  election  for  corporation  officers 
in  the  town  of'Brookston  was  held  at  the  schoolhouse  March  23,  1867, 
and  the  following  ofiicers  were  elected  :  Clerk  and  Treasurer,  D.  S. 
French  ;  Marshal  and  Assessor,  Jonas  R.  Staton ;  Trustees,  First  Dis- 
trict, A.  L.  Patterson ;  Second  District,  S.  H.  Powell ;  Third  District, 
C.  D.  Staton  ;  Fourth  District,  Moses  L.  French ;  Fifth  District,  D.  U. 
Rice.  A,  Patterson,  President  of  the  Board.  The  bonds  of  Assessor 
and  Clerk  were  each  $100,  and  of  Treasurer  and  Marshal  $1,000  each. 
The  present  officers  are  :  Trustees,  First  District,  G.  U.  Rainier ;  Second 
District,  A.  Cochran  ;  Third  District,  George  Stowe  ;  Fourth  District, 
George  W.  Sanders  ;  Fifth  District,  W.  H.  Sampson  ;  Treasurer,  T.  S. 
Hayes ;  Marshal,  John  Mansfield :  Clerk,  C.  C.  French. 

Following  is  a  summary  of  the  present  business  of  the  town :  Dry 
goods,  Truxton  Head,  E.  P.  Mason,  son  and  J.  H.  Brandon  ;  boots  and 
shoes,  Mason  &  ^on,  S.  S.  Colvin,  F.  Stalman  and  J.  H.  Brandon  ;  ele- 
vators, F.  S.  Hayes  and  Parish  &  Godman ;  groceries,  E.  P.  Mason 
&  Son,  D.  A.  Powell,  Rainier  &  Son,  A.  Street  &  Son  ;  hardware,  D.  E. 
Murphy  and  A.  C.  Spitzer;  confectioners,  John  Wolf,  A.  Street  &  Son  ; 
drugs,  Benton  Thompson  and  Van  Winkle  &  Martin  ;  blacksmiths,  A. 
Deiterlie  and  George  Martin;  barber,  J.  W  Holtzman ;  furniture,  A. 
Cochran  ;  harness,  Peter  Schneider  ;  lumber  and  lath,  A.  S.  Boardner  ; 
livery  and  feed, William  Lang  and  M.  Slimar  ;  cigars  and  tobacco,  J.  W. 
Holtzman  ;  meat  market,  A.  J.  Holtzman ;  Justice  of  the  Peace,  A.  C. 
Patterson;  millinery,  Mrs.  R.  H.  Lockwood  and  Mrs.  A.  Rodgers; 
physicians,  John  Medaris,  Kelley  &  Mendenhall,  W.  H.  Holtzman  and 
W.  H,  Sampson  ;  stoves  and  tinware,  A.  C.  Spitzer;  undertaker,  A.  C. 
Cochran ;  tile  factory,  William  Ripley  ;  hotel,  Gress  House,  J.  S.  Lock- 
wood ;  Ameri-can  Express,  L.  E.  Street;  station  agent,  William  Mc- 
Clellan;  Postmaster,  C.  S.  Little.  The  Farmers'  Warehouse  was  built 
in  1860-61  by  a  joint-stock  company,  organized  and  incorporated  under 
the  laws  of  the  State.  It  is  40x80  feet  and  cost  $2,000.  In  1864,  John 
Allen  put  in  a  grist-mill,  with  three  runs  of  buhrs,  which  he  operated 
for  about  five  years.  In  1879,  Parish  &  Godman  leased  it  for  a  period  of 
five  years.  The  Methodist  Church  in  Brookston  was  built  in  1866  at 
a  cost  of  $2,000. 


PRAIRIE   TOWNSHIP.  123 

In  1863,  the  Brookston  Minutemen  were  organized  under  charter, 
running  for  ten  years.  The  charter  members  were  William  Stewart, 
William  T.  Alkire,  D.  D.  Archibald,  Joseph  Henderson,  Samuel  Bachelor, 
Aaron  Yarnell,  E.  A.  Brown,  J.  C.  Garrett,  Jeremiah  Murphy,  William 
H.  Stewart,  Benjamin  Lucas,  Lewis  Roderick,  William  Myers,  A.  G. 
Brown,  James  Chilton,  Sr.,  James  Chilton,  Jr.,  and  a  few  others. 
William  Stewart  was  the  first  President ;  Samuel  Bachelor,  the  first 
Secretary,  and  Aaron  Yarnell,  the  first  Treasurer.  In  1873,  the  charter 
having  expired,  the  body  was  re-organized  under  a  new  charter,  which  will 
expire  in  1883.  The  present  charter  expires  next  September,  but  the 
probability  is  that  it  will  then  be  renewed  for  a  further  term  of  ten  years. 
Their  meetings  are  held  once  every  three  months.  Their  object  is 
mutual  protection  against  thieves  and  depredators  of  all  kinds.  They 
now  have  a  membership  of  about  seventy.  They  have  done  much  good 
in  the  community,  in  the  way  of  bringing  criminals  to  condign  punish- 
ment. It  is  probably  the  only  organization  of  the  kind  in  the  county, 
and  there  is  probably  no  other  place  in  the  county  in  which  criminals  are 
so  rigorously  dealt  with. 

The  Brookston  Silver  Cornet  Band  was  organized  in  June,  1882,  by 
M.  J.  Holtzman,  with  the  following  members:  M.  G.  Holtzman  (leader), 
Peter  Schneider,  Ed  Petit,  Webb  Mendenhall,  Van  Ripley,  J.  F.  Rans- 
dell,  Sherman  Cochran,  John  Wright,  James  French  and  Elwood  Shelton. 
They  are  making  fair  progress,  and  will,  no  doubt,  be  able  to  discourse 
some  very  excellent  music  after  they  shall  have  had  a  little  more  practice. 
Brookston  has  two  saloons,  at  which  "the  deadly  juice  of  the  sour-mash 
tree  "  is  sold  in  quantities  to  suit  purchasers.  There  is  also  a  calaboose 
in  the  town.  The  relation  between  the  saloon  and  the  calaboose  is  so 
intimate  that  it  is  deemed  proper  to  mention  them  in  the  same  connection. 

The  Brookston  Academy  was  built  during  the  years  1866  and 
1867.  The  movement  which  eventuated  in  the  erection  of  this  magnificent 
structure,  of  which  the  people  of  Brookston  are  proud  above  everything 
else,  perhaps,  that  they  have  to  feel  proud  of  in  common,  in  their  beauti- 
ful and  pleasant  little  town,  was  inaugurated  by  Dr.  John  Medaris.  He 
it  was  who  first  suggested  the  idea,  and  at  his  suggestion  the  plan  was 
adopted  of  getting  the  then  County  Superintendent  to  hold  a  series  of 
meetings  throughout  the  township,  at  which  addresses  were  made  by  the 
County  Superintendent  and  others,  and  the  organization  of  a  joint-stock 
association  was  strongly  urged,  after  which  the  subscription  of  stock  was 
solicited.  This  plan  met  with  such  success  that  during  the  winter  of  1865 
-66  stock  to  the  amount  of  |7,000  was  subscribed,  and  during  the  follow- 
ing spring  the  work  was  begun.  By  the  fall  of  1866,  the  building  was 
inclosed   and  the  association  was  about  $6,000  in  debt.     Before  further 


124  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

progress  could  be  made,  it  was  necessary  that  they  should  get  more 
money.  This  seemed  almost  like  the  labor  of  Sisyphus,  for  it  would 
seem  as  though  their  resources  in  this  direction  had  been  almost  exhausted, 
as  they  had  made  a  very  thorough  canvass  of  the  township  in  the  first 
instance,  and  their  money  was  now  all  gone,  although  they  had  made  but 
a  very  slight  beginning  toward  the  completion  of  the  work  they  had  set 
out  to  do.  Nothing  daunted,  however,  they  began  to  frame  new  plans 
by  which  to  obtain  the  much  needed  article,  money.  The  plan  which 
they  now  adopted  was  to  issue  new  certificates  of  stock,  payable  in  in- 
stallments, due,  one-third  in  one  year,  one-third  in  two  years,  and  the 
remaining  one-third  in  three  years.  By  the  sale  of  this  stock,  about 
$6,000  was  raised.  They  also  prevailed  upon  the  Board  of  Commission- 
ers of  the  county  to  subscribe  for  $5,000  worth  of  stock,  the  conditions  of 
which  subscription  are  set  forth  in  the  order  of  the  Board  in  relation 
thereto,  a  copy  of  which  is  here  set  forth  :  "  It  is  ordered  by  the  Board 
that  $5,000  of  the  stock  of  the  Brookston  Academy  be  taken  by  the 
county,  upon  the  condition  that  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  said  Brookston 
Academy  shall,  from  thenceforth,  forever,  educate  all  orphan  children, 
and  all  children  of  widows  who  are  not  owners  of  real  estate  of  the  value 
of  $500,  and  shall  be  bona  fide  residents  of  the  county  of  White,  free 
from  tuition  of  all  kinds,  until  said  children  shall  attain  their  majority." 
With  this  additional  $11,000  of  subscribed  stock,  together  with  a  little 
over  $4,000  of  borrowed  money,  the  building  was  completed  and  opened 
in  the  fall  of  1867.  The  building  is  eighty  feet  in  length  by  sixty  feet 
in  width,  two  stories  high,  and  is  divided  into  four  spacious  rooms,  twO' 
below  and  two  above.  It  is  situated  outside  and  just  south  of  the  corpo- 
ration, in  a  beautiful  grove  containing  five  acres  of  ground.  The  struct- 
ure is  composed  of  brick,  and  presents  a  very  beautiful  and  imposing  ap- 
pearance. What  with  the  money  the  association  had  borrowed,  and  with 
the  subscribed  stock  that  was  not  collectible,  they  found  themselves  in 
debt  in  the  sum  of  about  $8,000  when  the  building  was  completed.  As 
they  did  not  feel  equal  to  the  task  of  raising  this  amount,  it  was  sold  in 
1873  to  the  Trustees  of  the  township,  by  whom  it  was,  at  the  same  date, 
leased  to  the  corporation  of  the  town  of  Brookston  for  a  term  of  ninety- 
nine  years.  It  was  sold  to  the  Township  Trustees  for  the  amount  of  the 
debt,  and  no  more.  It  is  greatly  to  be  deplored  that  some  of  the  men 
who  contributed  most  liberally  of  their  time  and  means  to  the  furtherance 
of  this  noble  enterprise  should  have  been  so  mercilessly  fleeced  as  some  of 
them  were,  the  details  of  which,  for  lack  of  space,  cannot  be  here  given. 
As  before  stated,  the  academy  was  opened  in  the  fall  of  1867,  with  the 
following  corps  of  able  teachers :  Principal,  Prof.  Hart ;  Grammar, 
Miss  Serena    Handley;  Intermediate,   Miss    Sallie  Mitchell;     Primary, 


PRAIRIE  TOWNSHIP.  125 

Miss  Jeru  Cook ;  Assistant,  Miss  Rachel  Hayes  ;  Music,  Miss  Lida 
Oakes.  Prof.  Hart  was  a  graduate  of  Yale  College,  and  had,  for  many 
years  before  coming  to  this  place,  been  Principal  of  the  public  schools  in 
Danville,  Ky.  He  was  an  accomplished  scholar,  and  a  very  suc- 
cessful and  popular  teacher.  The  present  teachers  are :  Principal,  Prof. 
Frank  D.  Heimbaugh,  a  graduate  of  the  Normal  School  at  Valparaiso  ; 
Primary,  Miss  Eda  Cutter ;  Intermediate,  Miss  Lizzie  Holmes ;  Gram- 
mar, Miss  Belle  Marsh.  The  first  Trustees  were,  John  Medaris,  Russel 
Stewart,  Samuel  Ramey,  E.  A.  Brown,  Alfred  Ward  and  G.  W.  Cornell ; 
President  of  the  board,  John  Medaris.  Present  Trustees,  John  Medaris, 
John  Roush,  John  P.  Carr,  0.  Barnard,  Robert  Alkire  and  Russel  Stew- 
art. John  Medaris  has  continued  to  be  President  of  the  board,  by  suc- 
cessive re-elections,  from  the  time  of  the  first  organization  of  the  board. 
The  schools  are  now  and  always  have  been  very  efficiently  conducted. 
There  is  probably  no  town  or  city  in  the  State  that  contains  a  better  edu- 
cated or  more  refined  class  of  citizens  than  does  Brookston,  and  that  this 
is  true  is  due  to  the  fact  of  the  existence  of  this  academy  in  their  midst, 
more  than  to  any  other  one  thing.  ^ 

Bridges. — Prairie  Township  has  within  its  borders  five  good  iron 
bridges,  three  of  which,  across  Moots'  Creek,  are  each  one  hundred  feet 
in  length,  and  were  erected  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $2,000  each  ;  one 
across  the  same  stream,  fifty  feet  in  length,  was  built  at  a  cost  of  about 
$1,300 ;  and  one  across  Spring  Creek,  also  fifty  feet  in  length,  cost  about 
the  same  amount  as  the  one  last  mentioned.  The  first  four  of  these 
bridges  are  of  the  conical  center  pattern,  and  the  other  of  the  square  truss 
style.  These  bridges  were  erected  by  the  Wrought  Iron  Bridge  Com- 
pany of  Canton,  Ohio. 

Surface  Features. — Prairie  is  the  largest  and,  perhaps,  the  best 
township  in  the  county.  The  west  half  of  it,  and  a  portion  of  the  east 
half,  is  prairie  land.  Probably  three-fifths  or  more  of  the  entire  township 
is  prairie,  and  it  is  from  this  fact  that  the  name  which  it  bears  was  given 
to  it.  The  west  half  is  almost  exclusively  prairie,  whilst  in  the  east  half 
timbered  land  and  prairie  are  interspersed.  The  timbered  portions  pro- 
duce wheat  better  than  the  prairie,  whilst  the  prairie  produces  the  better 
corn  crops.  Of  late  years,  however,  the  farmers  in  the  western  portion 
have  been  cultivating  much  more  wheat  than  formerly,  and  with  good 
success.  The  soil  of  the  prairies  is  very  rich,  and  corn  grows  very  lux- 
uriantly. 

A  Storm  of  Sleet. — Lest  the  date  and  the  fact  should  be  forgotten, 
and  lest  some  who  take  but  little  note  of  passing  events  should  say  in  the 
future,  "this  is  the  heaviest  sleet  that  I  ever  saw,"  it  is  here  recorded 
that  during  the  night  of  February  2,  1883,  a  sleet  was  formed,  which  was 


126  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

pronounced  by  many  old  and  observant  citizens  to  be  the  heaviest  that 
they  had  ever  witnessed.  It  rained  almost  incessantly  during  the  night 
of  the  2d,  and  also  the  greater  pairt  of  the  day  on  the  3d,  with  the  tem- 
perature a  little  below  the  freezing  point  the  greater  part  of  the  time. 
Sleet  formed  to  the  thickness  of  about  one  inch,  and  damage  was  done  to 
fruit,  forest  and  ornamental  trees  to  an  extent  that  was  almost  incredible. 
The  telegraph  lines  were  snapped  asunder  in  many  places,  and  many 
poles  were  broken  down,  merely  by  the  weight  of  the  accumulation  of  ice 
upon  the  wires,  whilst,  in  many  places,  saplings  or  small  trees  were  bent 
down  across  the  wires  by  their  burden  of  ice,  and  the  wires  thus  were 
broken,  rendering  communication  by  telegraph,  for  the  time,  impossible. 
Not  only  did  ice  form  around  the  limbs  and  twigs  of  trees,  but  numerous 
icicles,  from  four  to  five  inches  in  length,  hung  pendant  from'  every  little 
twig.  '  ,      , 

The  Press. — The  Brookston  Reporter.,  a  six-column  folio  newspaper, 
independent  in  politics,  was  founded  April  17,  1873,  by  M.  H.  Ingram. 
August  3,  1874,  it  was  purchased  by  D.  S.  and  C.  C  French.  The 
partnership  continued  until  Jfnuary,  1879,  when  C.  G.  French  became 
the  sole  proprietor.  During  the  time  that  Mr.  Ingram  published  the 
paper  it  was  issued  on  Thursday  of  each  week,  and  for  a  short  time  after 
the  Messrs.  -French  became  the  proprietors  of  it,  Thursday  remained 
publication  day.  After  a  short  time,  however,  the  publication  day  was 
changed  to  Friday,  and  has  remained  so  to  the  present  time.  It  has  a 
patent  outside,  as  have  most  local  papers  at  the  present  day.  It  is  a  neat 
a,nd  ably  conducted  little  sheet,  and  is  doing  much  good  in  the  com- 
munity. 


CHAPTER  V. 

BY    M.    T.    MATTHEWS. 


Honey  Creek  Township — Name  and  Creation — First  Settle- 
ment— Early  Elections  and  Officers — First  Land  Entries — 
Milling  Interests — Reynolds — Schools  and  Churches — The 
Railroads — Other  Items  of  Interest. 

FROM  a  stream  that  wends  its  course  through  Honey  Creek  Town- 
ship from  southwest  to  northeast,  the  township  derived  its  name. 
Previous  to  1855,  the  territory  now  constituting  the  above-mentioned 
township  was  attached  to  Union  Township  for  election  purposes,  and 
thus  remained  until  the  June  term  of  the  Commissioners'  Court  in 
1855,  when  it  was  "  Ordered,  that  Congressional  Township  27 
north,    of    Range    4    west,    be   and  the  same     is     hereby    constituted 


HONEY  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  127 

Honey  Creek  Township."  The  first  steps  made  toward  the  creation  of 
this  new  township  were  by  Benjamin  Reynolds,  Leander  H.  Jewett, 
Abram  Van  Voorst  and  numerous  other  citizens,  who,  in  1854,  signed  a 
petition  and  presented  it  to  the  Court  of  County  Commissioners,  praying 
the  creation  of  the  township.  The  township  contains  thirty-six 
square  miles,  has  twenty-three  thousand  and  forty  acres  of  land 
and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Monon,  east  by  Union,  south  by  Big 
Creek  and  west  by  Princeton.  At  the  time  of  the  formation  of  Honey 
Creek  Township,  in  1855,  and  for  a  number  of  years  afterward,  the  soil 
was  noted  for  its  extreme  wetness.  So  wet  was  it  that  it  might  have 
been  properly  termed  water  township  instead  of  the  name  it  now  bears. 
Since  1860,  there  has  been  a  large  amount  of  drainage  done.  At  the 
close  of  1882,  the  township  had  at  least  twenty  miles  of  public  ditches, 
besides  many  constructed  at  prtvate  expense.  The  greater  portion  of  the 
land  in  Honey  Creek  Township  is  now  under  cultivation  or  is  susceptible 
of  cultivation. 

First  Settlement. — The  first  settlement  in  the  territory  that  now 
composes  Honey  Creek  Township  was  about  the  time  the  county  was  or- 
ganized, in  1834.  In  the  sprint  of  1834,  the  words,  '"  Go  West,  young 
man,"  seem  to  have  fallen  upon  the  ears  of  Joshua  Rinker  and  wife,  for 
they  were  soon  found  ^vending  their  way  from  their  Buckeye  home  to 
what  is  now  Honey  Creek  Township.  Mr.  Rinker  and  wife  settled 
on  Section  34,  and  began  improvement  by  erecting  a  cabin. 
This  structure  was  not  unlike  cabins  which  were  built  very  near  the 
same  time.  The  round  logs,  the  floor  of  split  trees  hewed  only  on  one 
side,  the  clapboard  roof,  the  old  fire-place,  the  one  small  window,  and 
the  door  that  for  years  swung  to  and  fro  upon  its  creaking  leather  hinges, 
are  some  of  the  remembrances  of  this  the  supposed  first  cabin  of  Honey 
Creek  Township.  Some  of  the  other  early  settlers  were  Peter  B.  Smith 
(a  Norwegian),  who  came  into  the  township  in  1834  and  began  settle- 
ment in  the  northeast  corner,  on  Section  1.  A  man  by  the  name 
of  Day  came  into  the  township  in  the  same  year  and  began  settle- 
ment on  Section  85.  Day  kept  "bachelor's  hall,"  the  keeping  of 
•which  need  not  here  be  pictured.  Joseph  Cole,  James  Cole  and  Moses 
Cole  began  settlement  in  the  township  in  1835,  and  about  the  same 
time  came  Jesse  Grooms,  Frank  Johnson,  Moses  Johnson  and  Adison 
Johnson.  William  Turner  was  also  among  the  first  to  commence  set- 
tlement in  the  territory.  Mr.  Turner  settled  on  the  range  line  in  the 
extreme  northern  part,  and  about  the  same  date  another  improvement  was 
begun  on  Section  34,  by  a  man  named  Bisher.  On  account  of  the  light- 
ning striking  the  cabin  and  instantly  killing  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Bisher 
and  severely  injuring  a  little  son,  the    house    was    abandoned.      After 


128  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

this,  Mr.  Bisher  and  family  left  the  township.  Nathaniel  White  was 
one  of  the  first  to  begin  settlement  in  Honey  Creek  Township.  Mr. 
White  came  from  England  about  1833  or  1834,  and  soon  afterward  en- 
tered eighty  acres  of  land  in  the  township  and  at  once  erected  a  cabin  in 
which  he  lived  for  many  years  a  lone  and  solitary  life.  A.  M.  Dickin- 
son, Harry  Thompson,  John  Bates,  Joseph  De  Long,  J.  E.  Dunham, 
Samuel  Verdon,  Nicholas  Myers,  Mrs.  Sarah  Bunnell,  W.  H.  Rinker, 
Thomas  Rinker,  T.  N.  Bunnell,  George  W.  Bunnell  and  several  others 
were  among  the  first  settlers  in  the  township.  Stephen  Miller  made  set- 
tlement in  the  township  on  Section  26,  V.  McColloch  on  Section  27  and 
John  Wilson  on  Section  22,  as  early  as  1836  or  1837.  Abram  Van 
Voorst,  Cason  Wood,  Benjamin  Reynolds,  M.  M.  and  R.  W.  Sill,  Na- 
thaniel Bunnell  and  several  others  were  among  the  early  and  prominent 
men  in  the  township.  In  1854,  there  had<not  been  any  settlement  begun 
in  the  township  west  of  the  Louisville,  New  Albany  &  Chicago  Railway, 
and  it  was  not  until  this  railroad  was  completed  through  the  township 
that  settlement  became  more  rapid  tjjan  it  had  hitherto  been.  During 
the  building  of  this  improvement,  the  township  was  flooded  with  foreigners. 
After  the  organization  of  the  township,  the  Germans  commenced  settling 
in  the  same,  and  in  a  few  years  persons  of  this  nationality  held,  per- 
haps, the  balance  of  power.  The  Germans,  as  a  rule,  purchased  small 
farms  (forty  acre  farms)  and  improved  them  and  then  would  purchase 
more  land  and  improve  that.  Some  of  the  finest  and  best  cultivated 
farms  in  Honey  Creek  Township  to-day  are  those  owned  by  Germans. 
Civilization  leads  the  way  to  improvement  and  culture. 

First  Elections  and  Officers. — At  an  election  held  at  the  Reynolds 
schoolhouse  on  the  7th  day  of  April,  1856,  the  following  men  asserted 
their  rights  at  the  ballot  box  :  Abram  VanVoorst,  D.  L.  Hamilton,  New- 
ton Organ,  M.  M.  Sill,  0.  L.  Dale,  J.  S.  Goddard,  Ira  Keller,  James 
Cole,  Aaron  Wood,  Joseph  Cole,  Thomas  Glanford,  Nathaniel  Bunnell, 
Thornton  Williams,  Samuel  Horren,  Washington  Burnes,  Robert  W, 
Sill,  Frederick  Medorse,  Jesse  Holton,  Marshall  Johnson,  Adison  John- 
son, Joshua  Rinker,  George  Williams,  Thomas  Cain,  John  JefFcoots,  S. 
A.  Miller,  Abraham  Irvin,  Daniel  Coble,  A.  M.  Dickinson,  Patrick 
Horn,  R.  R.  Pettit,  John  Horren,  L.  H.  Jewett,  Isaac  Barker,  Isaac  S. 
Vinson,  John  Bates,  Lewis  Kruger,  J.  W.  Balger,  J.  Q.  Bunnell,  Na- 
thaniel White,  James  Toppy,  Isaac  M.  Cantwell,  John  Callis  and  Frederick 
Helm.  The  above  was  the  first  election  held  in  Honey  Creek  Town- 
ship, and  at  it  were  elected  the  following  Trustees:  Samuel  Horren,  for 
a  term  of  three  years ;  Abram  Van  Voorst,  for  two  years,  and  A.  M. 
Dickinson  for  one  year.  Leander  H.  Jewett  and  M.  M.  Sill  were 
elected  Justices  of  the  Peace  for  two  years ;    R.  R.    Pettit    and    Homer 


HONEY  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  129 

Glassford  were  elected  Constables  for  one  year ;  Nathaniel  Bunnell  was 
elected  Township  Treasurer  for  one  year,  and  Joshua  Rinker,  Newton 
Organ  and  James  Coble  were  elected  Supervisors  of  Roads  for  the  same 
time.  At  this  election,  thirty-five  votes  were  received  for  road  tax,  Ira 
Kellsand  A.  Wood,  Judges,  0.  S.  Dale  and  M.  M.  Sill,  Clerks. 

At  an  election  held  at  the  same  place  on  the  second  Tuesday  in  Oc- 
tober, 1856,  the  following  men  voted :  James  Himes,  William  White, 
Aaron  Wood,  A.  M.  Dickinson,  J.  B.  Bunnell,  Abram  Van  Voorst,  J. 
H.  Thomas,  Stephen  Miller,  L.  H.  Ambler,  Thornton  Williams,  Marion 
Hamilton,  Samuel  Harper,  Isaac  Ruger,  J.  S.  Reynolds,  Samuel  Horren, 
J.  W.  Brasket,  William  Harper,  R.  R.  Pettit,  Thomas  Harper,  John 
Noah,  William  Headen,  Michael  Foundry,  F.  Harper,  L.  H.  Jewett,  F. 
N.  Holam,  Lewis  Shall,  F.  Kefsis,  James  S.  Miller,  George  F.  Miller, 
Jacob  Heastur,  James  Dale,  M.  M.  Sill,  James  Kenton,  A.  Page,  J.  F. 
Goddard,  M.  Foram,  John  Candent,  E.  Lickory,  John  Boles,  Charles 
Keller,  Henry  Veslong,  M.  T.  Johnson,  John  Cole,  Anderson  Johnson, 
George  Williams,  James  Cole,  Beigamin  Clark,  Hugh  Irvin,  Ira  Keller, 
John  Lealy,  Patrick  Henry,  D.  L.  Hamilton,  N.  W.  Bunnell,  G.  Helar, 
A.  A.  Ferryfold,  Isaac  Kentwell,  Joseph  Skentington,  John  Cox,  Jeff- 
coots,  B.  T.  Meyers,  A.  Weise,  George  Emery,  Nathaniel  White,  C. 
Perry,  Joshua  Perry,  James  Pettit,  Jerry  Hamilton,  Thomas  Spencer, 
Solomon  McColloch,  James  M.  Bragg,  John  Horn,  Nathaniel  Bunnell, 
Adam  Morgan,  Joshua  Rinker,  Aden  Nordyke,  Patrick  Horn,  Patrick 
Poating,  James  Turpie,  Joseph  Dale,  P.  Hartman,  W.  P.  Stark,  Joseph 
DeLong,  Abram  Irvin,  and  Newton  Organ.  This  was  the  first  State 
election  held  in  the  township,  and  nearly  every  voter  in  it  exercised  his 
might  through  the  ballot  box. 

Previous  to  the  spring  election  of  1858,  a  petition  had  been  presented  to 
the  Board  of  County  Commissioners,  numerously  signed  by  citizens  of  the 
township,  praying  the  privilege  of  electing  another  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
and  thereby  supplying  the  township  with  two  Justices  instead  of  one,  as 
had  been  the  case  since  the  organization. 

The  county  records  show  that  William  Millefr  Kenton  entered  land  in 
the  township  in  1833 ;  John  W.  Bunnell  in  1835;  Nathaniel  Bunnell 
in  1834  ;  Thomas  Bunnell  in  1834  ;  Eliza  Ann  Bunnell  in  1835  ;  John 
Wilson  in  1833 ;  Benjamin  H.  Dixon  in  1836,  and  Thomas  Broomfield 
in  1836.  These  were  the  first  or  among  the  first  persons  to  enter  home- 
steads in  Honey  Creek  Township. 

Mills. — The  first  saw  mill  in  the  township  was  built  where  Reynolds 
stands,  in  1854,  by  Messrs.  Johnson  &  Cole.  This  was  a  steam  mill  and 
had  a   saw    of  the    upright  pattern.     This   enterprise     continued    for  a 


130  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

time,  and  did  a  fair  business,  but  ere  long  reverses  came  (as  they  did  to 
many  enterprises  in  those  days),  and  the  machinery  connected  with  the 
mill  was  soon  disposed  of  at  Sheriff's  sale.  The  building  stood  for  years 
unused,  and  was  finally  torn  down.  Thus  quickly  died  the  first  and  only 
stationary  mill  of  this  kind  known  in  the  history  of  the  township. 

The  first  grist  mill  in  the  township  was  a  steam  one,  in  a  building 
that  was  erected  by  M.  M.  and  R.  W.  Sill,  who  had  used  it  for  several 
years  as  a  warehouse.  The  above-mentioned  building  is  located  in  the 
town  of  Reynolds.  About  the  year  1868,  Messrs.  Tucker  &  Jenks  pur- 
chased the  property,  and  placed  in  the  machinery  for  the  grist  mill.  Two 
sets  of  buhrs  were  used,  one  for  making  flour  and  the  other  for  grinding 
corn.  The  firm  continued  the  business  about  two  years,  when  Tucker 
disposed  of  his  interest  to  his  partner,  and  he  (Jenks)  ran  the  mill  one 
year  and  then  sold  it,  and  since  that  time  the  property  has  changed 
hands  several  times,  and  now  rests  in  the  hands  of  Messrs.  Ream  &  Hert- 
lein,  the  present  proprietors. 

Railways. — The  township  has  been  vastly  aided  and  the  price  of 
real  estate  greatly  enhanced  since  the  construction  of  the  railroads  though 
its  borders.  The  Pittsburgh,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  road  extends  through 
the  township  east  and  west.  This  line  was  commenced  in  1855,  and 
completed  through  the  township  in  1859,  and  the  Louisville,  New  Al- 
bany &  Chicago  road  was  begun  in  1853,  and  finished  through  the  town- 
ship in  1854. 

First  Birth  and  Death. — The  first  white  child  born  in  Honey  Creek 
Township  is  thought  to  have  been  Ellen  Rinker,  daughter  of  Joshua  Rinker, 
The  first  person  who  died  in  the  township  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  lady 
by  the  name  of  Bisher,  the  same  person,  however,  that  was  killed  by 
lightning   in  the  early  history  of  Honey  Creek  Township. 

Reynolds. — This  town,  of  more  than  a  common  or  ordinary  interest, 
is  situated  in  the  southern  part  of  Honey  Creek  Township,  at  the  crossing 
of  the  Louisville,  New  Albany  &  Chicago  and  the  Pittsburgh,  Chicago 
k  St.  Louis  Railways,  and  has  a  population  of  about  four  hundred  and 
fifty. 

The  town  was  named  in  honor  of  one  of  its  founders,  Benjamin  Rey- 
nolds. On  the  10th  day  of  January,  1854,  George  S.  Rose,  Benjamin 
Reynolds,  Christian  Carrell  and  William  M.  Kenton,  platted  or  laid  out 
the  original  town  of  Reynolds.  The  original  plat  was  constructed  upon  the 
northeast  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  34,  in  Town- 
ship twenty-seven  (27)  north,  of  Range  four  (4)  west,  in  White  County, 
State  of  Indiana.  The  following  streets  were  laid  off  in  the  original  plat: 
Main,  Sill,  Kenton,  Boone,   First,    Second,    Third  and  Fourth.     Main 


HONEY  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  131 

street  was  sixty-six  feet  wide,  as  were  all  other  streets  running  north  and 
south,  while  all  streets  running  east  and  west  were  only  sixty  feet  wide. 
The  alleys  were  all  surveyed  sixteen  feet  wide. 

This  plat  (the  original)  of  Reynolds  contained  155  lots,  each  of  which 
had  sixty  feet  front,  but  the  depth  varied.  The  first  addition  to  the  town 
of  Reynolds  was  made  by  Thomas  Bunnell  and  William  M.  Kenton  on 
the  24th  of  January,  1855,  and  was  known  as  the  North  Addition,  and 
was  made  from  the  southeast  quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  Section 
28,  Town  27  north.  Range  4  west,  containing  forty  acres  more  or  less, 
commencing  at  the  southeast  corner,  the  center  of  Main  street,  thence 
north,  on  the  section  line  about  eighty  rods,  thence  west  about  eighty 
rods,  thence  south  about  eighty  rods  to  the  southwest  corner  of  said 
land,  thence  east  along  the  section  line  to  the  place  of  beginning.  This 
addition  consisted  of  141  lots.  The  second  and  last  addition  to  the  town 
of  Reynolds  was  made  on  the  4th  of  May,  1866,  by  Mrs.  S.  A.  Vail, 
and  is  designated  as  Vail's  Addition,  and  the  same  was  laid  out  west  of 
the  North  Addition  to  said  town  and  included  all  that  part  of  the  south- 
west quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  Section  28,  Township  27  north, 
Range  4  west,  which  laid  south  of  the  Pittsburgh,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis 
Railway  ;  this   addition  consisted  of  eighteen  lots. 

The  first  business  house  or  building  of  any  description  on  the  present 
site  of  Reynolds  was  what  is  now  known  as  the  Centennial  House  (a 
name  given  it  in  1876),  that  was  erected  by  Benjamin  Reynolds  in  1852, 
This  was  used  from  the  time  of  its  erection  until  recently  as  a  hotel.  The 
original  part  of  the  building  was  18x40  feet,  one  story  high.  In  1867 
the  first  part  was  raised  and  two  stories  were  put  under  it,  and  at  the  same 
time  some  additions  were  attached  to  the  original.  The  building  is  now 
rented  to  the  "  Reynolds  Light  Fantastic  Club  "  for  $72  per  annum,  and 
in  it  the  lads  and  the  lasses  of  Reynolds  and  round  about  meet  once  a 
week  and  "drive  dull  care  away  "  through  the  medium  of  the  men-y, 
merry  dance.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Burnes  carried  on  the  first  black- 
smith shop  in  Reynolds,  and  John  Horn  was  the  first  merchant,  and  his 
stock  of  merchandise  consisted  of  groceries,  dry  goods,  boots,  shoes  and 
whisky.  The  sale  of  the  last  named  article  predominated  greatly.  Horn 
was  a  representative  of  that  country  beyond  the  Atlantic,  that  to-day  is 
the  saddest  upon  which  the  sun  casts  his  rays.  The  following  is  a  list  of 
the  first  merchants  who  sold  goods  in  the  town  of  Reynolds,  in  about  the 
order  in  which  they  began  business. 

Abram  Tiramons,  1^53;  James  Rickey,  spring  of  1854;  Aaron 
Wood,  fall  of  1854;  Nordyke  &  Bunnell,  spring  of  1855;  Isaac 
Vinson,  fall  of  1855 ;  Irvin  &  Horren,  fall  of  1855 :  M.  M.  &  R. 
W.    Sill,    spring    of    1855;     Irvin    &    Van    Voorst,    fall    of    1856; 


132  HISTORY   OF   WHITE   COUNTY. 

David  K.  Ream,  1857  ;  H.  T,  Howard,  spring  of  1858  ;  Samuel 
W.  Firth  sold  goods  in  the  town  in  1859  ;  Samuel  Brownell,  1860  ;  C. 
0.  Allen,  1860.  While  making  a  visit  to  Louisville  in  the  spring  of 
1855,  M.  M.  Sill  determined  that  he  would  launch  his  boat  in  the  mer- 
cantile sea,  and  while  in  that  city  purchased  $500  worth  of  groceries  and 
had  them  shipped  over  the  new  railway  then  completed  to  Reynolds  be- 
fore he  had  a  house  to  put  them  in,  but  Mr.  Sill  lost  no  time  in  securing  a 
room  that  had  been  put  up  in  the  fall  of  1854,  but  had  not  been  completed. 
In  the  spring  of  1855,  the  store  room  was  completed  and  in  it  was 
placed  the  stock  of  groceries  and  $1,000  worth  of  dry  goods,  boots,  shoes 
etc.,  etc.  This  was  by  far  the  most  extensive  business  yet  started  in 
Reynolds.  Mr.  Sill  continued  the  business  about  two  years,  or  until  1857, 
when  he  sold  his  entire  stock  of  goods  to  David  K.  Ream. 

Leander  Jewett  was  the  town's  first  Postmaster  and  Dr.  James  H. 
Thomas  was  the  first  physician  and  minister  in  the  place,  or  in  the  town- 
ship. The  first  dwelling  house  in  Reynolds  was  built  in  the  fall  of  1852 
by  Abram  Timmons.  The  house  is  still  standing  and  is  used  at  present 
as  a  blacksmith  shop.  The  second  and  third  houses  in  the  town  were 
built  by  Jesse  Grooms  and  Edward  Day.  Years  have  passed  and  the 
settlement  of  four  houses  has  been  exchanged  for  a  thriving  and  enter- 
prising town  of  almost  500  inhabitants.  The  business  interests  of 
Reynolds  are  at  present  represented  by  the  following  list :  Attorneys  at 
law,  John  A.  Batson  and  James  P.  Wright ;  physicians,  R.  M.  Delzell 
and  S.  W.  Sluyter ;  agricultural  implements,  Charles  Heimlich  ;  black- 
smiths, Heimlich  Bros.  ;  boots  and  shoes,  Frank  Meyer,  F.  A.  Thomas 
and  Michael  Vogel ;  drugs,  John  Brucker  ;  dry  goods,  John  Hertlein, 
W.  S.  Johnson  &  Co.  and  George  Ruppert ;  grocers,  J.  E.  Dunham, 
John  Hertlein  and  Aaron  Wood  ;  hardware,  A.  Wood ;  grain  dealer, 
R.  Felget ;  furniture,  R.  Kleist ;  wagon-makers,  Brucker  &  Heimlich  ; 
stoves  and  tinware,  Neidenberger  &  Son  ;  millinery,  Mrs.  M.  H.  Batson 
and  Mrs.  L.  Wilson  ;  meat  market,  G.  Weise  ;  lumber  and  laths,  J.  F. 
Brucker  and  Paris  Nordyke ;  real  estate  agent,  J.  A.  Batson.  The  "fire- 
water "  interest  is  carried  on  by  M.  Grismer  and  F.  A.  Meyer.  W.  S. 
Johnson  is  the  town's  present  Postmaster. 

Secret  Societies. — Reynolds  at  one  time  had  two  secret  organizations. 
In  1859,  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  Masonic  order  of  Indiana  granted  a 
charter  to  the  Reynolds  Lodge,  which  was  numbered  252.  Some  of  the 
■charter  members  were  R.  W.  Sill,  Leander  Jewett,  Aden  Nordyke.  John 
W.  Peck,  Morton  Mordise  and  John  Thompson.  The  lodge  continued  in 
working  order  for  a  number  of  years,  but  finally  it  became  financially 
embarrassed  on  account  of  a  number  of  members  moving  away  and  others 
failing  to  pay  their  dues  (mostly  the  latter),  and  in   1878    it   voluntarily 


HONEY  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  133 

surrendered  its  charter  to  the  Grand  Lodge.  At  the  time  of  the  surrender 
of  the  charter,  the  lodge  had  the  following  officers :  R.  M.  Delzell,  W. 
M.;  John  Brucker,  S.  W.;  Henry  Chamberlain,  J.  W.;  J.  A.  Batson, 
Secretary  ;  and  Paris  Nordyke,  Treasurer.  The  other  organization  was 
that  of  the  Good  Templars,  which  was  started  and  the  charter  granted 
July  4,  1866.  For  a  time,  the  organization  "ran  high"  and  prospered. 
At  one  time,  the  lodge  had  180  active  members,  and  had  quite  an  amount 
of  money  in  the  treasury,  but  when  the  third  anniversary  of  its  birth 
came  round,  it  had  lost  the  greater  part  of  its  strength  and  in  October 
of  the  fourth  year  of  the  organization  it  had  only  twenty-two  members 
and  as  many  dollars  in  the  treasury.  These  members  concluded  to 
abandon  the  work  of  "  saving  men  "  and  voted  that  the  proceeds  on  hand 
be  used  in  preparing  an  oyster  supper,  and  that  the  supper  should  be 
termed  the  ''supper  of  the  faithful  few."  Thus  it  was,  that  that  which 
once  was,  and  prospered,  was  so  soon  to  become  a  thing  of  the  dead  past. 

Schools. — The  first  schoolhouse  in  the  town  of  Reynolds,  or  in  the 
township,  was  built  in  the  original  plat  of  the  place  about  the  year 
1855.  The  house  was  built  by  subscription.  Nathaniel  Bunnell 
gave  $25  for  the  house  and  Benjamin  Reynolds  donated  the 
ground.  Miss  Nannie  Glazebrook  is,  perhaps,  the  first  teacher  who 
taught  in  this  schoolhouse.  The  first  school  held  in  the  town  or  township 
was  taught  in  acorn-crib  in  Reynolds  by  Miss  Ann  Braday  in  the  summer 
of  1854.  The  crib  in  which  this  school  was  taught  was  about  twelve 
feet  wide,  by  thirty  feet  long.  The  term  was  a  three-months  one,  and 
there  were  about  twenty  pupils  that  attended.  There  are  several  of 
these  corn-crib  scholars  living  in  the  vicinity  yet.  The  present  school 
building  in  Reynolds  was  erected  about  the  year  1860.  The  building 
is  a  frame,  24x38  feet,  one  story  high,  contains  two  rooms.  Thomas 
James  was  the  first  teacher  in  the  new  schoolhouse.  Jacob  Thomas 
is  the  present  Principal,  and  Miss  Jennie  Bernathe  is  the  primary  teacher. 
The  school  enrolls  about  120  pupils  and  is  in  a  healthy  condition. 

Churches. — The  old  Catholic  Church  erected  in  1861,  was  the  first 
church  built  in  the  town  of  Reynolds.  This  is  a  frame  structure,  and  is 
used,  and  has  been  since  1876,  for  a  parsonage.  In  1876,  the  new 
Catholic  Church  was  erected,  and  is  known  as  St.  Joseph's  Church.  The 
building  is  a  large  brick  one,  of  elegant  finish,  erected  at  a  cost  of  $12,000. 
There  are  about  forty  families  belonging  to  this  congregation.  There  is, 
in  connection  with  the  church,  a  Catholic  school,  called  St.  Joseph's 
School,  and  has  twenty-six  pupils.  The  total  amount  of  property  owned 
by  the  Catholics  in  the  town  is  estimated  at  $14,000.  The  Presbyterian- 
Christian  Church  was  the  second  house  of  public  worship  erected  in  the 
town.     This  is  a  frame  structure,  22x60  feet,  built  by  the  Presbyterians 


134  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

about  the  year  1859.  The  Presbyterians  used  the  building  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  then  sold  it  to  the  Christians,  and  it  has  since  been  known 
as  the  Christian  Church.  The  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $1,600, 
but  was  sold  to  the  Christians  for  $700.  The  German  Lutheran  Church 
(the  old  one)  was  built  in  1867  :  the  new  one  was  erected  in  1878,  and  is 
30x70  feet  in  size,  and  cost  about  $2,000.  This  church  was  built  with 
much  care,  and  does  credit  to  the  sixty  members  who  worship  at  its  altars. 
The  old  structure  is  used  as  a  German  school  building.  The  school  at 
present  is  conducted  by  J.  H.  Bethke,  and  has  an  average  attendance  of 
eighty-five  pupils.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  a  frame  structure, 
40x60  feet,  was  commenced  in  1869,  and  finished  in  1871.  From  a 
financial  standpoint,  this  structure  was  wrongly  christened.  It  should 
have  been  named  Bunnell's  Church,  for  he  (Nathaniel  Bunnell)  almost 
built  the  church  from  his  own  pocket.  This  building  cost  about  $2,000. 
Previous  to  the  erection  of  any  of  the  foregoing  sanctuaries,  services  were 
held  in  the  Reynolds  Schoolhouse.  This  town  can  proudly  boast  of  its 
schools  and  churches,  its  railways  and  its  business  interests. 

Reynolds  Incorporated. — At  the  September  term  of  the  Commis- 
sioners' Court  in  1875,  R.  M.  Delzell  presented  a  petition  signed  by  himself 
and  fifty-three  other  residents  of  Reynolds,  praying  that  the  board  issue  an 
order  declaring  that  the  territory  on  which  Reynolds  was  located  be  formed 
into  an  incorporation.  The  petition  was  approved  by  the  board,  and  it  was 
ordered,  on  the  8th  of  September,  1875,  that  on  the  2d  day  of  October, 
1875,  a  meeting  of  the  qualified  voters  of  said  territory  be  held  at  the 
schoolhouse  in  Reynolds,  to  determine  whether  said  territory  should  or 
should  not  be  an  incorporated  town.  At  this  election,  a  majority  of  the 
votes  cast  were  in  favor  of  the  incorporation,  and  Reynolds  thereafter  was 
designated  as  an  incorporated  town.  At  the  first  town  election,  the  fol- 
lowing officers  were  elected :  Councilman  of  the  First  Ward,  Jacob  Pfis- 
ter ;  Second  Ward,  William  Schweiule ;  Third  Ward,  Abram  Van  Voorst ; 
Clerk,  J.  E.  Dunham  ;  Marshal,  Joshua  Bunnell ;  Assesssor,  Frederick 
Witenburg.  The  present  town  officers  are  as  follows  :  Councilman  of  the 
First  Ward,  Frederick  Witenburg;  Second  Ward,  John  Brucker;  Third 
Ward,  John  Hartman  ;  Clerk,  J.  A.  Batson ;  Marshal,  Gustave  Weise. 
The  corporation  is  free  from  debt,  and  town  orders  are  at  a  premium. 

No  man  or  set  of  men  can  so  well  and  so  thoroughly  picture 
the  difference  between  the  Reynolds  of  1860  and  on  through  the 
war  and  the  Reynolds  of  1882  as  those  who  have  lived  in  the  town 
during  both  periods.  That  Reynolds,  from  1860  until  1866,  was  noted 
for  many  miles  around  as  one  of  he  "tough  "  places  of  earth  is  not  de- 
nied, and  the  statement  is  supported  by  the  best  citizens  of  the  town. 
This  was  due  to  the  rough  element  that  came  to  the  town  when   the   rail- 


HONEY  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  135 

road  was  first  built  and  when  Reynolds  aspired  to  become  the  county 
seat.  There  was  a  time  during  the  construction  of  the  railroad  last 
built,  when  expressions  similar  to  the  following  could  be  heard  concern- 
ing Reynolds :  "  A  man's  life  flows  at  a  dangerous  ebb  if  he  is  in  Rey- 
nolds and  the  fact  that  he  has  money  with  him  is  known  ;"  "  You  are 
continuously  in  danger  in  Reynolds."  An  incident  that  runs  as  follows 
has  often  been  reiterated  :  In  1862,  a  man  (more  whisky  than  man) 
stumbled  aboard  a  passenger  train  on  the  Louisville,  New  Albany  & 
Chicago  Railway,  at  LaFayette,  and  when  he  was  approached  by  the  con- 
ductor and  asked  where  he  was  going,  replied  "  To  Hell,"  whereupon  the 
man  with  the  punch  collected  from  the  "  well  filled "  individual  75 
cents  and  put  him  oif  the  train  at  Reynolds.  If  this  incident  is 
true,  Reynolds  will  no  doubt  acknowledge  the  joke.  It  must  be  said, 
however,  that  to-day  Reynolds  is  a  fine,  enterprising  town. 

Newspapers. — In  1871,  the  inhabitants  of  Reynolds  became  anxious 
to  have  a  newspaper  published  in  their  midst,  and  in  consequence  thereof 
purchased  the  Zionsville  (Ind.)  Times  oflSce  and  removed  it  to  Reynolds, 
and  in  February,  1871,  the  first  edition  of  the  White  County  Banner 
was  issued.  The  paper  was  a  20x26  inch,  five-column  folio.  This  was 
a  stock  enterprise.  Abram  Van  Voorst  suggested  the  name  for  the 
sheet.  J.  L.  Anderson  was  the  first  editor.  In  1872,  J.  E.  Dunham 
purchased  the  paper  of  the  stock  company  for  $400,  ran  it  one  year  and 
changed  the  name  of  the  sheet  to  that  of  the  Central  Clarion,  and  in  1876 
the  name  was  again  changed  and  the  paper  was  called  the  White  County 
Register,  and  this  name  it  retained  until  its  death  in  1878.  Financial 
starvation  killed  the  enterprise.    J.  E.  Dunham  still  owns  the  office. 

Miscellaneous. — The  following  persons  in  Honey  Creek  Township 
have  lived  to  see  the  three-score-and-ten  mile  post :  Nathaniel  Bunnell,  Bar- 
zilla  Bunnell,  Joseph  Skevington,  Abram  Van  Voorst,  "  Boss  "  White, 
C.  S.  Wheeler,  Mrs.  C.  S.  Wheeler,  Mrs.  Sophia  Bunnell,  John  Ehart, 
Ira  John,  Ira  Keller.  Mrs.  Ira  John,  Michael  Rosentroter,  Jeremiah 
Conners,  William  Borst  and  Elizabeth  Schrrantes. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  early  physicians  who  practiced  medicine 
in  Reynolds,  given  in  about  the  year  and  also  about  the  order  in  which 
they  began  practicing  in  the  place  :  Dr.  Thomas,  1856  ;  Dr.  R.  Har- 
court,  1858 ;  Dr.  Smith,  1859 ;  Dr.  Shaw,  1866,  and  Dr.  Delzell  the 
same  year,  and  Dr.  Cornell,  1867.  It  is  said  that  M.  M.  Sill  (now  of 
Monticello)  was  quite  a  noted  doctor  among  the  early  settlers,  though 
not  a  regular  practitioner. 


136  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


BY    ED.    A.     MOSSMAI 


Jackson  Township — Early  Conditions — Erection  of  Township 
AND  First  Election — Indians  and  Game — Miscellaneous  Mat- 
ters— Anti-Slavery  Petition — Mormonism — First  Post  Office 
— Burnettsville — Male  and  Female  Seminary — Idaville — A 
Tragedy — Agricultural  Association — Churches. 

THE  first  settlement  in  Jackson  Township  was  made  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  present  town  of  Burnettsville.  Thomas  Harless,  Joseph  James, 
Eliab  Fobes,  John  Scott  and  Aaron  Hicks  settled  in  that  part  of  the  town- 
ship in  the  year  1831 ;  but  which  came  first  cannot  now  be  ascertained. 
Those  who  came  shortly  afterward  can  say  no  more  than  that  they  were  all 
living  there  when  they  came.  None  of  those  first  settlers  are  now  living 
in  the  township  to  speak  for  themselves  nor  are  any  of  their  descendants 
there  to  speak  for  them.  The  opinion  of  many  of  the  surviving  settlers 
who  came  a  few  years  after  that  time  is  that  they  all  came  together,  and 
formed  a  kind  of  colony,  or  neighborhood  there.  It  is  a  matter  of  but 
little  consequence  which  came  first,  however,  inasmuch  as  they  all  ex- 
perienced many  of  the  worst  phases  of  pioneer  life.  The  few  roads  that 
they  had  were  often  very  bad,  and  frequently  travel  was  wholly  im- 
peded in  consequence  of  the  streams,  across  which  there  were  but  few 
bridges,  and  those  of  the  rudest  construction,  becoming  swollen  by  heavy 
falls  of  rain.  Of  course  they  could  raise  no  crops  for  the  subsistence  of 
their  families  and  their  domestic  animals  until  they  had  been  there  a 
sufficient  length  of  time  to  enable  them  to  clear  and  fence  a  few  acres  of 
ground.  Those  who  chanced  to  be  single-handed  and  had  large  families 
to  maintain,  and  were  poor  besides,  made  such  slow  progress,  being  thus 
overburdened  with  cares,  that  it  was  several  years  before  they  could  get 
their  farms  sufliciently  improved  to  enable  them  to  make  a  living  by  till- 
ing the  soil.  During  the  interim,  truth,  to  which  the  writer  hereof  is  an 
abject  slave,  compels  him  to  say  that  their  table  comforts  were  not  such 
as  a  true  epicure  would  delight  in.  Their  bill  of  fare  frequently  consisted 
of  naught  but  hominy,  roast  venison,  and  sassafras  tea,  with  the  addition 
sometimes  of  baked  squash  and  potatoes.  To  place  all  those  esculents  on 
the  table  at  one  time,  however,  was  considered  rather  extravagant  living. 
For  several  years  there  were  but  few  who  succeeded  in  raising  more  grain 
than  was  sufficient  for  their  own  use  ;  and  those  who  failed  to  raise  enough 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  137 

to  supply  their  owa  wants  were  compelled  to  haul  it  from  the  Wea 
Prairie,  in  Tippecanoe  County,  a  distance  of  about  thirty  miles.  Wea 
Prairie  was  jocosely  called  ''  Egypt,"  and,  going  thither  to  buy  corn,  was 
termed  "going  to  Egypt."  Whether  in  all  the  land  of  the  Weas,  into 
which  they  journeyed,  there  was  a  Joseph,  possessing  the  sterling  virtues 
of  the  Biblical  character  of  that  name,  whose  patronymic  remains  an 
unsolved  enigma,  the  early  settler  saitli  not.  Perhaps  he  did  not  feel 
sufficiently  interested  to  inquire.  The  corn  he  got ;  and,  with  him,  that 
was  the  great  desideratum.  Whilst  making  those  journeys  to  "Egypt  " 
for  corn,  they  would  frequently  have  to  stop  on  the  bank  of  some  stream, 
and  wait  a  day  or  two  for  the  swollen  waters  to  subside,  so  that  they  could 
cross.  But  those  men  who  took  it  upon  themselves  to  brave  the  hard- 
ships of  frontier  life  in  order  that  they  might  create  homes  for  themselves 
to  enjoy  in  the  eventide  of  their  lives,  and  have  a  competence  to  leave 
to  their  loved  ones  when  they  themselves  "passed  over  to  the  majority," 
were  not  the  men  to  be  easily  daunted.  True,  they  had  a  rough  ex- 
terior ;  but  the  times  were  rough,  and  rough  was  the  work  they  had  to  do. 
True,  too,  they  would  be  sneered  at  by  the  snob  of  to  day,  who  sports  a 
massive  pinchbeck  chain,  dallies  with  a  cane,  parts  his  hair  in  the  middle 
and  wears  a  double-decker  on  his  empty  head  ;  yet,  for  genuine  moral 
worth,  for  probity,  and  for  good,  sound,  homely  logic,  they  stood  as  high 

above  such  snobs   as  the  attic  of  Heaven  is  above  the  basement  of  

the  nether  regions.  They  were  generally  men  of  good  physique.  Men 
who  lacked  this  essential  qualification  of  a  frontiersman  seldom  had  the 
temerity  to  tackle  these  unbroken  wilds.  But  is  it  to  the  men  alone  that 
the  credit  is  due  of  transforming  this  wild  waste  into  the  well-improved 
and  highly  productive  agricultural  district  that  it  now  is  ?  And,  shall 
nothing  be  said  of  the  brave-hearted  women,  whose  cheering  words  ani- 
mated and  encouraged  them,  wlien.  lieavily  oppressed  with  the  burden  of 
cares  that  rested  upon  them,  they  were  upon  the  point  of  yielding  to  de- 
spondency ?  This  history  would  be  incomplete  if  it  omitted  to  mention 
the  important  part  that  those  courageous  and  self-sacrificing  women  per- 
formed in  effecting  this  great  transformation.  Not  only  did  they  animate 
and  encourage  their  partners  with  cheering  words,  and  kind  and  sym- 
pathizing looks  ;  but  they  acted  as  helpmates  as  well.  Whilst  the  men 
labored  to  get  the  means  of  subsistence,  the  women  labored  and  planned 
to  save  ;  and  by  their  aptitude  in  economic  planning,  their  slender  means 
were  made  to  minister  to  their  wants  in  many  ways  that  would  be  truly 
surprising  to  the  housewife  of  to-day.  They  had  no  sewing  machines  in 
those  days  with  which  a  garment  could  be  made  in  a  few  hours,  as  almost 
every  family  has  to-day.  All  the  clothing  required  by  the  family  they 
had  to  make  stitch   by  stitch.     Neither  were  their  kitchens   graced  with 


138  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

magnificent  kitchen  stoves,  such  as  the  modern  housewife  has.  All  their 
baking  they  had  to  do  in  an  old-fashioned  Dutch  oven,  which  they  set 
upon  a  bed  of  coals,  on  the  hearth,  and  heaped  a  lot  of  live  coals  upon 
the  top  of  it ;  and  thus  whilst  they  baked  the  bread,  they  almost  baked 
themselves,  too. 

The  houses  (if  they  may  be  so  called)  in  which  the  early  settlers 
lived  and  reared  their  families  were  no  palaces.  They  were  made  of 
round  logs  or  poles,  and  generally  consisted  of  but  one  apartment.  Those 
that  were  built  before  the  introduction  of  saw-mills  into  the  country  had 
puncheon  floors,  and  there  was  naught  but  the  roof  between  the  occu- 
pants and  the  heavens  above.  The  roofs  were  of  clapboards,  which  were 
held  in  their  places  by  poles,  called  weight-poles,  being  placed  upon  them. 
The  doors  were  the  only  parts  that  were  made  of  sawed  lumber  ;  and 
the  materials  out  of  which  they  were  made  the  settler  either  brought 
with  him  or  hauled  from  some  distant  place.  The  interstices  between 
the  logs  were  chinked  and  daubed  with  clay,  "to  expel  the  winter's 
flow."  The  door  was  secured  with  only  a  wooden  latch,  which  was 
raised  from  the  outside  by  means  of  a  string,  called  the  "  latch-string," 
one  end  of  which  was  attached  to  the  latch,  and  the  other  was  passed 
through  a  small  hole  in  the  door,  and  hung  down  on  the  outside.  At 
night,  instead  of  going  to  the  trouble  of  hunting  all  over  the  house  for  the 
key,  which  "the  baby"  had  been  playing  with,  and  had  lost,  no  one 
could  tell  where,  thereby  putting  the  whole  family  out  of  humor,  and 
causing  a  general  jamboree,  they  just  simply  pulled  in  the  "  latch-string," 
and  all  went  to  bed  as  serene  as  a  bright,  rosy  morning  in  the  smiling 
month  of  May.  Thus,  notwithstanding  the  multifarious  inconveniences 
and  disadvantages  under  which  the  pioneers  labored,  they  had,  withal, 
some  advantages  which  the  people  of  these  modern  days  have  not.  If 
their  neighbors  resided  at  so  great  a  distance  that  they  seldom  had  the 
pleasure  of  a  visit  with  them,  they  just  laid  all  their  work  aside  and  had 
a  jolly  good  time  when  they  did  make  or  receive  a  visit.  The  whole 
family,  even  to  the  dog,  went ;  and  frequently  those  visits  would  be 
quite  protracted,  lasting  sometimes  several  days ;  or,  if  it  was  very  sel- 
dom that  they  visited  each  other,  perhaps  a  week.  The  male  portion  of  the 
families  wouW  beguile  the  time  with  hunting,  shooting  at  mark  and  various 
other  pastimes,  whilst  the  gentler  sex  would  pass  the  time  in  talking  about 
— well,  it  would  require  a  whole  volume,  and  a  very  large  one,  too,  to  tell 
all  that  they  did  talk  about.  What  was  done  with  the  "  latch  string  " 
on  such  occasions  the  writer  hereof  failed  to  find  out.  It  is  probable, 
however,  that  there  was  an  insurmountable  difiiculty  here  that  more  than 
countervailed  the  aforementioned  advantages. 

Creation  of  TotvnsMps. — Jackson   Township    was    created  in   July, 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  139 

1843,  at  the  time  when  the  county  was  first  organized,  and,  as  at  first  cre- 
ated, embraced  all  of  White  County  east  of  the  Tippecanoe  River.  Its 
territory  was  subsequently  diminished  by  striking  off  therefrom,  at  vari- 
ous times,  other  townships  or  parts  of  townships.  For  the  periods  when 
it  was  so  diminished,  see  other  chapters  in  this  history. 

First  Elections. — The  first  election  held  in  the  township,  as  shown  by 
the  files  at  the  county  seat,  was  held  at  the  house  of  Daniel  Dale  Novem- 
ber 7,  1843.  The  voters  at  this  election  were  Jonathan  Shull,  Ephraim 
Million,  Lewis  Shull,  James  Courtney,  Robert  Hannah,  Ezekiel  S.  Wiley, 
Joseph  Dale,  Eliab  Fobes,  George  Gibson,  Hugh  Courtney,  John  Gibson, 
Joseph  James,  John  Morris,  Joseph  Winegarner,  Allen  Barnes,  George 
Hornbeck,  William  Wiley,  Aaron  Hicks,  John  Hannah,  John  Smith,  John 
Lowery,  William  Gibson,  Stephen  Neill,  Robert  P.  Gibson,  William  Price, 
John  D.  Vinnage,  William  R.  Dale  and  William  James.  This  was  the  gen- 
eral election  at  which  Van  Buren  was  elected;  and  overwhelming  indeed 
would  his  majority  have  been,  if  each  voting  precinct  had  voted  as  solidly 
for  him  as  did  Jackson  Township.  Of  the  twenty-eight  votes  cast  in  the 
township,  the  Democratic  electors  received  twenty-six,  and  the  Whig 
electors  two.  As  voters  had  the  right,  as  the  law  then  was,  to  vote  any- 
where in  the  county,  all  those  whose  names  appear  in  the  above  list 
may  not  have  been  residents  of  Jackson  Township,  whilst  the  names  of 
others  who  were  residents  of  the  township  may  not  be  in  the  list, 
for  the  reason  that  they  may  have  voted  elsewhere.  As  above  stated, 
this  was  the  first  election  held  in  the  township,  as  shown  by  the  files 
at  the  county  seat ;  yet  it  is  maintained  by  many  of  the  early  settlers 
that  there  was  an  election  held  in  the  township  in  the  spring  of  the 
same  year.  All  that  can  be  said  on  that  point  is,  if  such  was  the 
fact,  the  files  do  not  show  it.  It  may  be,  however,  that  such  was  the 
fact,  and  that  the  returns  have  been  misplaced.  Such  a  thing  is  not  be- 
yond the  range  of  possibilities,  nor  even  of  the  probabilities.  At  an  elec- 
tion held  at  the  house  of  Daniel  Dale  on  the  first  Monday  in  April, 
1837,  the  following  new  names  appear  :  Dennis  Pringer,  Enos  H.  Stew- 
art, William  W.  Mitchell,  Solomon  McCully,  Madison  Reeves,  Lewis  J. 
Dale  and  Jephtha  York.  The  next  election  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Daniel  Dale,  on  the  first  Monday  in  August,  1838.  At  this  elec- 
tion, the  following  persons  voted,  who  did  not  vote  at  either  of  the 
preceding  elections :  Thomas  McLaughlan,  Andrew  J.  Hannah,  Silas 
Gitt,  Alexander  Hornbeck,  John  A.  Billingsley,  Samuel  Smith,  John 
S  treet  and  James  T.  Mitchell.  At  one  of  the  early  elections  held  in 
this  township,  there  was  but  one  Whig  ticket  voted,  and  that  vote  was 
cast  by  Andrew  Hannah.  They  tried  to  prevail  upon  him  to  vote  the; 
Djnocratic    ticket,   and  thus  make  the  vote  of  the  township  unanimous 


140  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

but  he  could  not  see  it  in  that  light.  He  had  a  principle  in  view,  and 
he  had  the  stamina  to  stand  up  for  that  principle,  even  though  he  stood 
alone.  He  could  not  be  induced  to  thus  trifle  with  this  most  sacred 
right  of  an  American  citizen  for  the  paltry  purpose  of  perpetrating  a 
joke.  The  house  in  which  the  first  election  was  held  is  still  standing  in 
the  same  place  in  which  it  then  stood.  The  last  election  was  held  within 
two  hundred  yards  of  the  old  house,  and  at  least  two  of  those  who  voted 
at  the  first  election  (Robert  P.  Gibson  and  John  Hannah)  voted  also  at 
the  last  election.  The  ballot  box  used  at  those  elections  was  an  impro- 
vised affair,  and  consisted  of  a  hat,  with  a  handkerchif  placed  over  the 
top  of  it.,  Aaron  Hicks  was  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  elected  in 
Jackson  Township.  To  Daniel  Dale  was  accorded  the  privilege  of  naming 
the  township,  and  he  named  it  in  honor  of  that  patron  saint  of  Democ- 
racy, Andrew  Jackson. 

Indians. — Indians  were  quite  numerous  at  the  time  of  the  ingress  of  the 
first  settlers  in  this  township.  They  were  inveterate  beggars,  very  obtrusive 
in  their  manners,  and  always  a  "heap  hungry."  Their  begging  propen- 
sity was  a  source  of  great  annoyance  to  the  settlers.  They  would  also 
frequently  kill  the  settlers'  hogs,  and  appropriate  them  to  their  own  use, 
which  far  more  annoyed  the  settlers  than  their  begging  proclivities.  On 
one  occasion,  one  of  them  killed  a  hog  belonging  to  Joseph  James,  who 
caught  him  flagrante  delicto,  followed  him  to  camp,  and  complained 
against  him ;  whereupon  the  other  Indians  tied  him  up  and  administered 
to  him  a  good  sound  castigation. 

Game. — Game  was  very  plenty  in  those  days,  and  the  settlers  used  to 
have  what  they  termed  wolf-drives  and  deer-drives.  Word  would  be  given  out 
and  circulated  far  and  wide  over  the  country,  that  on  a  certain  day  there 
would  be  a  drive,  and  that  a  certain  hour,  and  a  certain  designated  place 
(which  was  always  some  one  of  the  numerous  small  groves  that  abounded 
in  the  township)  would  be  the  time  and  place  of  meeting  ;  also  the  time 
of  starting,  and  the  territory  to  be  embraced  within  the  lines  would  be 
stated  in  this  pronuneiamento.  Previous  to  the  day  set,  scaffolds  were 
erected  in  the  grove,  upon  which,  on  the  day  of  the  drive,  the  marksmen 
(men  selected  for  the  purpose  of  shooting  the  game  when  it  should  be 
driven  in)  were  placed.  At  the  appointed  hour,  the  lines  were  formed, 
with  as  few  gaps  and  as  short  ones  as  possible ;  but,  as  it  was  not  possible 
to  have  the  line  wholly  without  gaps  of  such  an  extent  that  the  men  would 
be  out  of  sight  of  each  other,  especially  at  the  starting,  horns  and  bells 
were  used  for  the  double  purpose  of  scaring  the  game  and  of  preserving 
the  alignment.  Thus  they  would  gradually  close  in,  driving  the  game 
before  them  ;  and,  as  the  deer  and  other  animals  would  approach  the 
grove  the  marksmen,  who  were  placed  upon  the  scaffold,  as  before  stated^ 


JACKSON   TOWNSHIP.  141 

would  shot  them  down.     The  number  of  deer  and  other  animals  killed 
on  these  occasions  was  very  great. 

Jackson  Jurors. — At  the  first  court  held  in  White  County,  it  is  said 
that  every  man  in  Jackson  Township,  who  had  resided  therein  a  sufficient 
length  of  time  to  qualify  him  to  sit  on  the  jury,  was  on  either  the  grand 
or  petit  jury.  Rufus  A.  Lockwood,  who  subsequently  removed  to  Cali- 
fornia and  established  a  national  reputation  as  an  attorney  by  his  able 
management  of  the  Mariposa  Claim  case  and  other  notable  cases,  ap- 
peared as  an  attorney  in  this  court  in  an  action  of  replevin.  He  ap- 
peared for  the  defendant,  and  it  is  said  that  he  made  a  masterly  defense. 
Morality. — The  first  settlers  were  very  largely  composed  of  adher- 
ents of  the  Seceders' Church,  who  are,  as  is  generally  known,  distin- 
guished above  most  other  churches  for  their  sedateness  and  for  the  aus- 
terity with  which  they  enforce  moral  discipline  among  their  members, 
and  especially  among  their  children.  Consequently,  such  things  as  drunk- 
enness, carousing,  dancing,  swearing,  fighting,  and  other  immoral  prac- 
tices were  almost  wholly  unknown  in  this  township  for  a  good  many  years, 
and,  in  fact,  there  is  not  to-day  a  saloon  in  the  township,  notwithstand- 
ing it  contains  two  towns,  each  of  which  has  a  population  of  about  four 
hundred.  There  have  been  saloons  in  the  township,  but  their  patronage 
was  so  small  that  the  business  was  not  remunerative,  and  they  were  soon 
closed.  Truly,  in  this  the  record  that  Jackson  Township  has  made  for  her- 
self is  one  to  be  proud  of,  and  which  is  deserving  of  a  conspicuous  place 
in  her  history. 

Vital  Statistics. — Alexander  Barnes  was  born  in  February,  1835, 
and  was  probably  the  first  child  born  in  the  township.  This  is  a  question, 
however,  that  is  somewhat  involved  in  doubt,  as  there  are  many  of  the  sur- 
viving early  settlers  who  think  it  probable  that  some  of  Joseph  James'  family 
may  have  been  born  in  the  township  prior  to  that  time.  Mr.  James  settled 
in  the  township  in  1831,  and  those  who  came  in  between  that  time  and 
1835  say  that  he  had  a  large  family  of  children,  some  of  whom  were  quite 
young  ;  wherefore,  they  think  it  altogether  probable  that  some  of  them 
may  have  been  born  in  the  township.  Whether  they  wore  or  not,  however, 
cannot  be  definitely  ascertained.  Amos  Barnes  died  December  2,  1835, 
and,  with  the  exception  of  two  of  Joseph  James'  children,  whose  names 
could  not  be  ascertained,  his  was  the  first  death  in  the  township.  Amos 
Barnes'  death  occurred  in  the  same  house  in  which  Alexander  Barnes' 
was  born.  John  D.  Vinnage  and  Rachel  Gibson,  who  were  married  in 
the  spring  of  1836,  were  probably  the  first  couple  married  in  the  town- 
ship. 

Schools. — The  first  schoolhouse  in  the  township  was  built  about  1836, 
and  stood  about  where  the  northeast  corner  of  the  town  of  Burnettsville 


142  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

now  is.  It  was  built  of  logs,  and  did  not  differ  materially  from  other 
schoolhouses  built  in  those  early  times.  William  Dale  was  the  first 
teacher  who  taught  in  this  house.  He  taught  the  first  two  or  three  terms 
that  were  taught  in  it.  The  first  school  in  the  township  was  taught  in  a 
vacant  house  owned  by  Ephraim  Chamberlain,  situated  in  the  southeast 
quarter  of  Section  33,  and  was  taught  by  James  Renwick,  The 
second  schoolhouse  in  the  township  was  built  about  the  year  1842,  and 
stood  on  a  part  of  the  farm  then  and  now  owned  by  Thomas  Barnes. 
Among  the  early  teachers  in  this  house  were  William  Barnes,  Melinda 
Noah,  a  man  named  Shadell,  and  Henderson  Steele.  The  third  house 
was  built  about  1847,  on  Solomon  McCully's  land,  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood in  which  the  second  was  built.  George  Hall  taught  the  first  school 
in  this  house.  He  taught  three  or  four  terms,  and  was  followed  by  Joseph 
Thompson,  George  Barnes,  John  Bright,  Asbury  Shultz,  William  P. 
Montgomery  and  Josephus  Tarn. 

Anti-Slavery  Petition. — About  1837,  a  memorial  and  petition, 
graphically  portraying  the  enormity  of  human  slavery,  and  praying 
Congress  to  abolish  it  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  was  drawn  up  by 
Thomas  McLaughlin,  a  citizen  of  Jackson  Township,  who  zealously 
labored  with  an  ardor  born  of  noble  impulses,  to  induce  his  neighbors 
and  fellow  citizens  to  lend  the  influence  of  their  names  to  the  further- 
ance of  this  noble  cause,  to  the  end  that  this  foul  blot  upon  our  national 
escutcheon  might  be  forever  wiped  out.  Through  his  untiring  efforts, 
some  eighteen  persons,  most  of  whom  resided  in  Jackson  Township, 
were  induced  to  attach  their  signatures  to  this  petition.  The  names 
of  all  the  citizens  of  the  township  who  signed  it  could  not  be  ascer- 
tained, but  Thomas  McLaughlin,  William  Gibson,  Thomas  Barnes,  Elijah 
Eldridge  and  Allen  Barnes,  and  probably  David  Barnes  and  James 
Small  were  among  the  number.  Thomas  McLaughlin,  after  inefiecfually 
exhausting  all  his  persuasive  powers  in  the  effort  to  induce  Robert  P. 
Gibson  to  sign  the  petition,  said  to  him,  ''  You  may  oppose  it  as  much  as 
you  like,  but  the  time  will  come  and  you  will  live  to  see  it,  when  slavery 
will  be  abolished,  not  only  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  but  throughout 
the  United  States."  This  prediction  has  been  fulfilled  to  the  letter. 
Mr.  Gibson  is  still  living  and  slavery,  that  most  inhuman  of  all  human 
institutions,  no  longer  exists  to  cause  the  words  to  stick  in  our  throats, 
when  we  would  boast  of  the  perfect  liberty  that  prevails  throughout  our 
fair  land. 

A  Distillery. — As  this  is  a  complete  history,  "  The  truth,  the 
whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,"  must  be  told.  Therefore  the 
bad,  as  well  as  the  good,  that  which  is  discreditable  as  well  as  that  which 
is  creditable,  must  be  recorded.    Be  it  recorded,  therefore,  that  about  the 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  143 

year  1840,  a  man  named  Samuel  Smith  started  a  small  distillery  about 
one  mile  southwest  of  where  the  town  of  Idaville  is  now  situated.  He 
continued  the  business  there  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
about  the  year  1850.  He  bought  a  little  corn  once  in  awhile,  and,  when 
he  could  do  so,  bartered  his  whiskies  for  corn.  As  before  stated,  it  was 
but  a  small  affair,  as  may  be  readily  inferred  from  the  fact  that  all  the 
"goods"  that  he  manufactured  were  disposed  of  in  the  neighborhood. 
As  his  distillery  was  located  near  the  south  line  of  the  county,  and 
as  the  citizens  of  Jackson  Township  were  noted  for  their  temperance 
proclivities,  as  previously  stated,  it  is  highly  probable  that  the  larger 
portion  of  his  beverages,  by  far,  were  sold  to  persons  residing  in  Car- 
roll County.  Of  course,  the  people  of  Jackson  had  to  have  a  little 
"to  make  vinegar  of,"  a  small  quantity  for  "bitters,  to  keep  off  the 
ague,  you  know,"  a  mere  modicum  "to  make  liniment  of,"  and  "some 
to  keep  about  the  house  for  snake-bites  and  other  emergencies." 

Mormonism. — Be  it  also  recorded,  that  about  the  year  1842,  Mor- 
monism,  that  relic  of  the  age  of  barbarism,  obtained  a  foothold  and 
had  quite  a  large  following  among  the  citizens  of  Jackson  Township. 
Out  of  respect  for  the  feelings  of  those  who  then  espoused,  but  have 
since  renounced,  the  infamous  doctrines  of  this  most  infamous  denomina- 
tion, all  names,  except  those  of  the  emissaries  who  had  been  sent 
thither  for  the  purpose  of  propagating  the  nefarious  doctrines  of  Mor- 
monism, will  be  suppressed.  A  church,  or  branch,  as  they  termed  it, 
was  organized  at  a  private  house  about  three  miles  north  of  where 
the  town  of  Burnettsville  is  now  situated,  by  Alva  L,  Tibbetts,  a 
Bishop  in  the  Mormon  Church.  This  branch  continued  to  exist  for 
about  three  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  their  meetings  were 
discontinued  and  all  those  whose  sensuality  (it  is  too  great  a  strain  upon 
the  credulity  for  an  intelligent  person  to  believe  that  it  could  have 
been  anything  else),  was  so  potent  as  to  impel  them  to  turn  their 
backs  upon  all  their  relatives  and  friends  and  upon  civilization,  and 
cast  their  lot  among  those  slaves  to  the  baser  passions,  emigrated  to 
Nauvoo.  This  branch  had  at  one  time  a  membership  of  about  sixty- 
five,  of  whom  about  two-thirds  resided  in  Jackson  Township.  There 
were  three  families  went  from  this  township  to  Nauvoo,  one  of  whom 
after  staying  there  fifteen  days  and  sixteen  nights,  returned  to  their 
former  neighborhood  almost  in  a  state  of  penury,  but  with  a  large 
amount  of  experience.  One  went  from  Nauvoo  to  Iowa  and  the  other 
went  to  Salt  Lake  City  at  the  time  of  the  general  exodus  of  the  Mor- 
mons from  Nauvoo.  During  the  existence  of  this  branch,  besides  AlvaL. 
Tibbetts,  who  organized  it,  as  previously  stated,  there  were  two  other 
Mormon  propagandists  whose  names  were  Ezra  Strong  and  John  Martin, 


144  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

who  frequently  harangued  the  faithful  and  others  whose  curiosity  led 
them  to  attend  their  meetings.  They  professed  to  be  able  to  speak  in 
unknown  tongues,  to  heal  the  sick  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  On  one 
occasion,  they  undertook  to  heal  one  of  the  sisters  who  was  quite  sick, 
and  who  was  the  wife  of  one  of  the  Elders  of  the  branch,  but  they  could 
not  heal  her  any  to  speak  of.  It  might  be  supposed  that  this  would  place 
them  in  a  very  awkward  dilemma,  but  they  very  adroitly  got  out  of  it  by 
saying  that  the  sister  lacked  faith.  They  established  a  cemetery  about 
two  miles  north  of  Idaville,  in  which  several  interments  were  made. 

Post  Offices. — The  first  post  office  in  the  township  was  established 
about  1836,  and  was  named  Burnett's  Creek.  It  was  located  at 
Farmington,  now  called  Burnettsville,  and  the  first  Postmaster  was 
William  R.  Dale.  The  office  is  now  located  at  Sharon,  about  half  a  mile 
north  of  the  old  town  of  Burnettsville,  or  Farmington,  and  is  still  called 
Burnett's  Creek  Post  Office.  How  long  Dale  was  Postmaster  is  not 
known.  William  S.  Davis  became  Postmaster  there  in  1850,  and  held 
the  office  until  1864,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  F.  A.  Herman.  The 
second  post  office  was  established  at  Hannah,  now  called  Idaville,  in 
1860,  and  the  first  Postmaster  was   Alexander  Rodgers,  from  1860  to 

1865  ;    Alexander   McCuUy,  from   1865  to  1866 ;    John   Barnes  from 

1866  to  1868;  Samuel  Heiney,  from  1868  to  1869;  John  C.  Hutchin- 
son, the    present   incumbent,    from   1869  to .     The  post  office    was 

first  named  Hannah,  but  was  changed  to  Idaville  when  the  name  of  the 
town  was  changed.  Those  are  the  only  post  offices  that  were  ever  estab- 
lished in  the  township. 

Burnettsville  was  laid  out  in  March,  1854,  by  Franklin  J.  Herman, 
in  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  25,  and  consisted  of  thirty-eight  lots. 
Dale's  Addition,  by  Prudence  Dale,  was  laid  out  in  September,  1855, 
and  consisted  of  sixteen  lots.  About  1846,  Thomas  Riley  built  a  log 
dwelling  house  within  the  present  limits  of  the  town  of  Burnettsville, 
which  was  the  first  house  built  within  those  limits.  The  second  was  a 
log  building,  put.  up  by  David  Stephens,  about  1849,  for  a  saddler 
shop.  William  S.  Davis  built  the  first  frame  building  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  town,  in  the  latter  part  of  1849,  and  occupied  it  as  a  store  and 
dwelling.  Thomas  Wiley  was  engaged  in  the  blacksmith  trade  when 
Davis  moved  there,  but  when  he  began  the  business  is  not  known.  The 
first  hotel  in  Burnettsville  was  built  by  John  W.  Bolinger,  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  the  town.  The  east  part  of  the  building  had  been  built 
by  William  Dobbins  for  a  wagon  shop,  and  Bolinger  bought  him  out,  and 
built  the  west  part  as  an  addition  to  it.  He  carried  on  also  a  cabinet 
shop  in  a  part  of  the  same  building.  He  continued  in  the  business  at 
that  place  for  a  good  many  years.     The  second  store  in  Burnettsville  was 


JACKSON   TOWNSHIP.  145 

Started  about  1852,  by  F.  A.  Herman.  He  kept  a  general  stock,  con- 
sisting of  such  articles  as  are  usually  kept  in  first-class  country  stores. 
About  1862,  John  W.  Witner  went  into  partnership  with  F.  A.  Herman, 
and  continued  with  him  for  about  two  years,  when  Herman  went  out 
and  formed  a  partnership  with  E.  R.  Herman  and  John  Dixon,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Herman,  Dixon  &  Co.  This  store  was  located  in 
the  town  of  Sharon  ;  and,  after  numerous  changes  of  partners,  which  it 
would  be  difficult  and  profitless  to  trace,  came  into  the  possession  of  J. 
M.  Love  &  Bro.,  the  present  proprietors.  There  is  now  no  business 
carried  on  in  the  old  town  of  Farmington  or  Burnettsville. 

Sharon. — The  town  of  Sharon,  which  is  situated  about  one-half  mile 
north  of  Burnettsville,  was  laid  out  in  1860.  The  post  office  was  removed 
from  Burnettsville  to  Sharon  about  1864,  at  the  time  when  F.  A.  Herman 
succeeded  William  S.  Davis  as  Postmaster.  The  present  business  of 
Sharon  is  as  follows :  J.  M.  Love  &  Bro.,  dry  goods  and  groceries  • 
Andrew  Ireland,  same ;  E.  P.  Henry,  groceries ;  David  James,  flour 
and  feed. 

Farmington  Seminary. — The  Farmington  Male  and  Female  Seminary 
was  founded  about  1852,  by  Isaac  Mahurin.  The  building  was  erected 
by  a  joint-stock  association,  certificates  of  stock  being  issued,  redeemable 
in  tuition,  but  not  otherwise.  Mahurin  taught  about  two  years,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Hugh  Nickerbocker,  who  taught  about  three  years,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  Joseph  Baldwin.  During  the  time  that  Baldwin 
taught,  which  was  about  three  years,  this  school  was  so  popular,  and  had 
such  an  extensive  reputation,  that  it  received  pupils  from  Logansport, 
La  Fayette,  Peru,  Winamac,  Delphi,  and  nearly  all  the  cities  and  towns 
in  this  portion  of  the  State.  As  a  teacher,  he  was  eminently  successful, 
and  very  popular.  He  was  succeeded  by  a  man  named  Goodwin.  All 
were  good  teachers,  but  Baldwin  seems  to  have  stood  pre-eminently  at  the 
head.  Many  of  the  ablest  professional  men  in  the  State,  among  whom 
may  be  mentioned  the  Hon.  Calkins,  M.  C,  received  their  early  intel- 
lectual training  at  this  institution.  At  an  election  held  at  the  seminary, 
August  7,  1852.  Joseph  Thompson,  Elijah  Eldridge,  William  York, 
Larkin  A.  Herman,  and  Aaron  Hicks  were  elected  Trustees. 

A  Storm. — About  the  year  1852,  the  town  of  Burnettsville  was 
visited  by  a  terrific  storm,  or  cyclone,  which  completely  demolished 
the  Baptist  Church,  which  was  at  that  time  just  approaching  comple- 
tion, and  carried  several  houses  off  their  foundations.  The  church  spoken 
of  was  a  large  frame  structure,  about  sixty  feet  in  length  by  thirty  feet 
in  width.  The  house  of  John  McCormick  was  entirely  blown  away, 
except  the  floor,  and  completely  demolished.  The  occupants  of  the  house, 
who  were  in  bed,  were  left  lying  there,   without  a   roof  to  shelter  them. 


146  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

The  track  of  the  storm  seemed  to  be  but  a  few  rods  in  width  ;  and  persons 
residing  but  a  few  rods  from  buildings  that  were  demolished,  were  not 
aware,  until  after  it  was  all  over,  and  they  were  informed  of  it,  that 
there  had  been  a  storm  of  such  a  terrific  and  destructive  character.  Of 
course,  the  storm  was  quite  severe  on  either  side  of  this  track,  and  yet, 
comparatively,  it  was  but  slight. 

Idaville. — The  town  of  Hannah,  now  called  Idaville,  was  platted  or 
laid  out  March  20,  1860,  by  Andrew  Hannah  and  Margaret  Hannah, 
his  wife ;  John  B.  Townsley  and  Rebecca  E.  Townsley,  his  wife ; 
and  John  McCully  and  Murha  S.  McCully,  his  wife,  on  the  northwest 
quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter,  and  the  northeast  quarter  of  the  south- 
west quarter  of  Section  28 — "The  northwest  corner  of  said  town  being 
330  feet  north,  eighty-five  degrees  and  thirty  minutes  west  of  the  center 
corner  of  the  aforesaid  section."  Townsley 's  West  Addition  was  laid  out 
by  John  B.  Townsley,  April  22,  1865,  and  consisted  of  eight  lots. 
Townsley 's  South  Addition  was  laid  out  April  22,  1865,  and  consisted  of 
twelve  lots.  Criswell's  Addition,  by  Robert  Criswell,  was  laid  out 
August  14,  1865,  and  contains  six  lots.  Gates'  Addition  of  sixteen  lots 
was  laid  out  December  17,  1872.  The  first  building  in  the  town  of 
Idaville  was  erected  in  the  summer  of  1859,  by  Alexander  Rodgers,  for 
a  store  room.  The  building  was  erected  before  the  town  was  platted,  and 
it  was  ascertained  when  the  town  came  to  be  platted  that  the  building 
stood  upon  two  lots,  and  it  was  subsequently  removed  to  another  lot  and 
used  as  a  dwelling.  Alexander  Rodgers  sold  goods  in  this  first  house  for 
about  one  year — from  November,  1859,  to  November,  1860.  In  the  fall 
of  1860,  he  completed  the  building  in  which  he  is  now  doing  business, 
transferred  his  stock  to  it,  and  has  been  doing  business  there  ever  since. 
He  is  the  pioneer  merchant  of  Idaville,  but  is  now  endeavoring  to  close 
out  his  stock,  with  a  view  to  quitting  the  business.  The  building  in 
which  Alexander  Rodgers  is  doing  business  being  the  second  building  in 
the  town,  the  third  was  a  dwelling,  built  by  S.  D.  McCully,  on  Lot  No. 
1,  of  the  original  plat.  The  second  store  was  opened  in  Andrew  Hannah's 
warehouse,  by  John  T.  Barnes  and  John  McCully.  They  kept  a  general 
stock,  which  they  afterward  removed  to  William  Cochran's  building,  on 
the  south  side  of  the  railroad.  The  next  store  building  was  built  by 
Samuel  Heiny,  for  a  store  and  dwelling  combined,  and  is  now  occupied 
by  Davis  &  Carson.  The  present  business  of  Idaville  is  as  follows  :  Hall, 
Barnes  &  Son,  general  store ;  J.  W.  McAlister,  drugs ;  Alexander  Rod- 
gers, general  store;  Heiny  &  Good,  agricultural  implements;  J.  M. 
Townsley,  drugs;  Davis  &  Carson,  general  store,  and  grain  merchants  ; 
G.  W.  Friday,  general  store;  George  Keever,  shoe  shop;  Dillon  Marsh, 
shoe  shop  ;  John  Shafer,  barber,  and  cigars  and  tobacco ;   Henry  Bennett, 


JACKSON   TOWNSHIP.  147 

grocery;  J.  C.  Hutchinson,  hardware;  James  &  McCorkb,  blaclssraiths; 
David  Snyder,  wagon-maker ;  S.  D.  McCully,  cabinet-maker ;  Henry 
Ireland,  butcher;  James  Armstrong,  John  L.  Shafer  and  Marion  & 
Heiny,  carpenters.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  lumber  and  wood  shipped 
from  Idaville,  also  a  great  many  fence  posts.  It  is  probable  that  there  is 
more  lumber  shipped  from  here  than  from  any  other  point  in  the  county  ; 
possibly  than  from  all  other  points,  as  there  is  but  very  little  lumber 
shipped  from  any  other  part  of  the  county,  W.  E.  Myers  set  up  a  port- 
able steam  saw  mill  in  the  south  part  of  Idaville,  in  November,  1882, 
which  is  run  by  two  ordinary  steam  thresher  engines,  one  of  which  is  an 
eight-horse  and  the  other  a  ten- horse  engine,  thus  giving  him  an  eighteen- 
horse-power.  With  this  mill  he  cuts  from  6,000  to  8,000  feet  of  lumber 
per  day.  There  is  also  a  saw  mill  about  three  miles  south  of  Idaville, 
•which  cuts  a  great  deal  of  lumber,  all  of  which  is  hauled  to  Idaville  and 
shipped  from  there.  The  present  population  of  Idaville  is  about  400,  and 
that  of  Sharon,  including  the  old  town  of  Burnettsville,  is  probably  nearly 
asjmuch. 

Violent  Deaths. — In  the  spring  of  1860,  a  tragedy  was  enacted  about 
two  miles  north  of  the  town  of  Burnettsville,  which  caused  a  great  deal  of 
excitement  in  the  neighborhood  in  which  it  occurred.  The  chief  actor  in 
this  tragedy  was  Albert  Burns,  a  man  somewhat  past  the  middle  age  of 
life,  who  had  been  residing  on  a  farm  in  that  neighborhood  for  several 
years.  It  seems  that  he  had  formerly  resided  in  Ohio,  and  that  he  there 
became  jealous  of  his  wife,  abandoned  her,  came  to  Indiana  and  procured 
a  divorce  from  her.  About  a  year  prior  to  the  occurrence  of  the  tragedy 
alluded  to,  she  had  come  to  the  place  where  he  lived,  and  they  had  recon- 
ciled their  differences  and  had  re- married.  During  the  period  of  their 
cohabitation  here,  after  their  re-marriage,  they  had,  apparently,  been 
living  quite  harmoniously  together.  Whether  he  had  new  cause,  real  or 
imaginary,  for  suspecting  that  his  wife  was  unfaithful  to  him,  or  whether 
he  had  wrought  himself  into  a  state  of  frenzy  by  brooding  over  what  lay 
in  the  past,  is  not  known.  However  that  may  be,  he  ended  all  the  woes 
of  his  earthly  existence,  at  the  time  previously  mentioned,  by  shooting 
himself,  after  having  shot  and  mortally  wounded  her  who  was  the  real  or 
fancied  cause  of  them.  He  also  attempted  to  take  the  life  of  her  youngest 
child,  which  he  disowned.  She  lived  until  the  next  morning.  After 
shooting  her,  and  before  shooting  himself,  he  placed  two  chairs  between 
her  and  the  tire-place  to  prevent  her  from  getting  into  the  fire  during  her 
death  struggles.  In  his  case,  death  is  supposed  to  have  ensued  instanta- 
neously. She  was  buried  in  the  Winegarner  Cemetery,  and  he  on  his 
farm. 

About  the  year  1877,  David  Herron  received  injuries  at  the  hands  of 


148  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

sotue  one  (supposed  to  have  been  John  Kelly),  from  the  effects  of  which 
he  is  supposed  to  have  died.  He  stopped  at  the  house  of  John  M.  Shafer, 
on  the  railroad,  about  three  miles  east  of  Monticello,  and  inquired  the 
way  to  Reynolds,  saying  that  he  did  not  wish  to  go  through  Monticello. 
The  inmates  of  the  house,  observing  that  he  was  quite  bloody,  and  that 
he  acted  strangely,  inquired  of  him  as  to  the  cause  of  the  blood  with 
which  his  face  and  clothes  were  covered,  and  he  told  them  that  he  had 
had  a  fight  with  the  Grangers.  He  left  there,  and  that  was  the  last  seen  of 
him  until  his  dead  body  was  found  about  two  days  afterward,  about  two 
miles  east  of  Monticello.  As  the  weather  was  cold  at  that  time,  it  is  the 
opinion  of  some  that  his  death  resulted  from  exposure  to  the  cold,  rather 
than  from  the  injuries  he  had  received.  John  Kelly,  proprietor  of  a 
saloon  in  Idaville,  and  John  Toothman,  who  had  formerly  tended  bar  for 
Kelly,  but  who  had  been  superseded  in  that  capacity  by  Herron,  were 
arrested  on  the  charge  of  having  murdered  Herron.  A  nolle  prosequi 
was  entered  as  to  Toothman,  and  he  became  a  witness  for  the  State  in 
the  case  against  Kelly,  who  was  convicted  of  manslaughter,  and  sentenced 
to  the  State's  prison  for  a  term  of  six  years.  Not  being  satisfied  with  the 
result,  Kelly  obtained  a  new  trial,  which  resulted  in  his  being  again  con- 
victed, and  sentenced  for  a  term  of  eighteen  years.  Many  believe  him  to 
have  been  wrongfully  convicted,  and  strenuous  efforts  have  been  made  to 
secure  his  pardon  ;  but  they  have  been  unavailing. 

Besides  the  foregoing,  the  following  deaths  in  the  township  have 
resulted  from  other  than  natural  causes :  About  the  year  1855,  William 
Crose  suicided  by  shooting,  about  one  mile  southwest  of  Idaville.  The 
felo-de-se  was  a  kind  of  religious  enthusiast,  and  his  mind  was  supposed 
to  be  a  little  unbalanced.  About  1854,  Silas  Tam  was  killed  by  light- 
ning, just  east  of  the  town  of  Burnettsville.  About  1861,  a  man  named 
Anthony,  a  conductor  of  a  freight  train,  had  his  leg  terribly  crushed,  in 
consequence  of  getting  his  foot  caught  in  the  frog,  and  died  at  the  house 
of  Alexander  Rodgers,  in  Idaville,  about  two  weeks  afterward.  About 
1862,  the  gravel-train  was  derailed  east  of  Idaville,  and  three  men  severely 
hurt,  one  of  whom  died  in  about  twenty-four  hours  afterward.  About 
1849,  Ephraim  Million  was  killed  about  three  miles  east  of  Burnetts- 
ville, by  his  team  running  away  with  him.  About  the  summer  of  1870, 
Daniel  Leslie  was  killed  by  lightning,  in  Hutchison  &  Ginn's  store  in 
Idaville.  The  same  electric  stroke  that  killed  Leslie  tore  the  boot  off 
J.  C.  Hutchison's  foot.  There  were  several  other  persons  near  Leslie 
when  he  was  killed,  but  none  of  them  were  seriously  injured.  About  the 
summer  of  1881,  a  man  named  Scraggs,  a  mute,  was  killed  on  the  rail- 
road, by  the  cars,  about  three  miles  east  of  Monticello. 

Agricultural  Association. — The  first  fair  held  in  White    County  was 


ARY 


JACKSON   TOWNSHIP.  151 

held  at  Burnettsville,  in  Jackson  Township,  about  the  year  1854,  at  the 
Academy  building.  This  was  the  only  one  that  was  ever  held  here,  how- 
ever. It  was  got  up  by  a  few  of  the  enterprising  citizens  of  the  town- 
ship, in  order  to  arouse  an  interest  in  the  organization  of  an  agricultural 
society  in  the  county,  as  they  believed  it  to  be  behind  the  neighboring 
counties  in  this  respect.  Their  object  was  soon  attained,  for,  in  a  very 
short  time  afterward,  a  county  agricultural  society  was  formed.  No 
entrance  fee  was  required,  nor  were  any  premiums  paid  or  offered. 
Premiums  were  awarded,  however,  and  the  honor  of  being  awarded  the 
premiums  was  the  only  recompense  offered  or  given  to  exhibitors. 

Churches. — The  Associate  Reformed  at  Idaville  was  organized  about 
1842.  First  pastor,  John  Thompson;  early  members,  Daniel  Carson, 
Stephen  Nutt,  John  Gibson,  William  Gibson,  George  Gibson,  Abraham 
Neil,  Solomon  McCully,  Andrew  Hannah  and  their  wives.  About  1852, 
they  formed  a  coalition  with  the  Seceder  Church.  The  Reformed  Church 
built  a  frame  house  of  worship  about  1845,  previous  to  which  time  their 
meetings  had  been  held  in  private  houses.  After  the  union  with  the 
Seceders,  they  built  an  addition  of  twenty  feet  to  their  house,  and  took 
the  name  of  United  Presbyterians.  The  Reformed  Church  had  no  other 
minister  than  John  Thompson  up  to  the  time  of  the  union,  the  pulpit 
being  vacant  a  part  of  the  time.  Ministers  after  Thompson  were  Thomas 
Calahan,  J.  R.  Reasun,  Gilbert  Small  and  Milford  Tidball,  the  present 
incumbent.  Present  church  built  about  1870  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,800. 
About  1874,  a  division  occurred  in  the  United  Presbyterian  Church, 
about  forty-five  withdrawing  and  organizing  a  Reformed  Presbyterian,  or 
Covenanter  Church,  arjd  the  same  year  built  a  church  costing  about 
$2,000.  Their  ministers  have  been  David  Murdock,  Hiram  H.  Brown- 
ell  and  Thomas  J.  McClellan.  Present  Trustees,  John  McGee,  William 
Downs  and  John  Coughel.  Elders,  Samuel  Montgomery,  William  Downs 
and  Andrew  Hannah.  The  Dunkard  Church  at  Idaville  was  organized 
about  1843.  Ministers  at  date  of  organization,  George  Patton  and  Jacob 
Inman;  subsequent  ministers,  Henry  Klippinger,  Uriah  Patton,  James 
Hannah,  Robert  P.  Gibson,  Robert  Million  and  David  Doolittle.  Church 
built  in  1872,  at  a  cost  of  $2,250.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at 
Idaville  was  organized  about  1865.  Early  members,  Samuel  Delzell, 
James  Armstrong,  J.  A.  Vallandingham,  and  wives,  and  Mrs.  J.  J.  Ross, 
G.  W.  Friday,  J.  A.  Hamill  and  Nancy  Iden  ;  ministers,  Thomas  H. 
McKee,  John  W.  Steele,  Rev.  Jackson,  Rev.  Bicourt,  R.  H.  Calvert,  C. 
R.  Ball  and  Winfield  Hall.  Church  built  about  1866,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$1,000.  Trustees,  James  Armstrong  and  George  W.  Friday  ;  Stewards, 
George  W.  Friday  and  Daniel  Snyder.  The  Seventh-Day  Adventist 
Church  at   Idaville  was  organized  in  July,  1882.     Pastors  at  date  of  or- 


152  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

ganization,  J.  M.  Reece  and  Victor  Thompson ;  members,  Dr.  J.  B.  Bar- 
ton, L.  W.  Henry,  and  wives,  and  John  Ellis,  George  P.  Davis,  Mrs. 
Margaret  Wilson,  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Palmer,  Mrs.  Frances  Rudgen,  Cynthia 
Marvin,  Mrs.  Williams,  Mrs.  Weaver  and  Katie  Kelley.  They  have,  as 
yet,  no  house  of  worship.  Ministers  are  sent  monthly  to  preach  to  the 
congregation.  The  Christian  Church  at  Burnettsville  was  organized  at 
the  residence  of  Alexander  Scott,  one  mile  east  of  the  present  site  of  the 
church,  in  the  fall  of  1834,  with  Rev.  Reuben  Wilson  in  charge.  Reuben 
Wilson  and  Alexander  Scott  were  chosen  Elders,  and  William  Hicks, 
Deacon.  The  society,  when  organized,  had  thirteen  members,  viz.: 
Reuben  Wilson,  Elder  and  Pastor,  Elizabeth  Wilson,  Alexander  Scott, 
Unity  Scott,  William  Hicks, Christina  Hicks,  Silas  Atchirison,  Mary  Atchin- 
son,  Daniel  C.  Flinn,  Joseph  Galbreath,  Rebecca  Hicks,  Eliah  Fobes  and 
Sarah  Fobes.  The  church  was  built  in  1853,  at  a  cost  of  $1,000.  Elder  Rus- 
Bel  held  a  series  of  meetings  here  soon  after  the  completion  of  the  church,  with 
marked  success.  The  ministers  of  this  church  have  been  Elders  Wilson, 
Scott,  Russel,  Mullis,  Campbell,  Winfield,  Libbie,  Rohrer  and  Ireland. 
Present  membership  about  fifty-five.  The  Baptist  Church  in  Burnetts- 
ville was  organized  April  4,  1843,  with  Elijah  Barnes,  pastor,  and  thirty- 
two  members.  The  following  ministers  have  officiated  as  pastors  of  this 
church,  the  dates  following  their  names  indicating  the  time  of  their  com- 
mencement: T.  E.  Thomas,  1844,  one  year;  Elder  Waters,  short  time; 
M.  A.  Kerr,  1849,  five  years;  N.  Clark,  1855,  three  years  ;  John  Dun- 
ham, 1859,  two  years ;  M.  A.  Kerr,  1862,  four  years ;  J.  G.  Kerr, 
1866,  two  years  ;  J.  0.  Washburn,  supply ;  Alfred  Harper,  supply  ;  L. 
C.  Cochran,  supply ;  A.  H.  Dooley,  1872,  nine  years  ;  R.  McClary, 
1881,  one  year;  Price  Odde,  1883,  present  minister  in  charge.  Present 
number  of  members,  eighty-two.  Trustees,  William  York,  George  Bir- 
kit,  W.  J.  Bishop  and  John  York.  Names  of  the  original  thirty-two 
members  :  Jephtha  York,  William  York,  Elijah  Eldridge,  William  Gib- 
son, John  York,  Benjamin  Grafton,  Jonathan  Shull,  Henry  Bishop, 
John  A.  Bishop,  William  R.  Lacey,  Abraham  Bishop,  Lewis  Shull,  Will- 
iam Ireland,  Samuel  Ireland,  Susannah  York,  Nancy  York,  Rebecca 
York,  Mary  Gibson,  Nancy  Hamilton,  Erta  Billingsby,  Christina  Shull, 
Margaret  Bishop,  Christina  Bishop,  Elizabeth  Billingsby,  Rebecca  Bill- 
ingsby, Christina  Lacey,  Marah  Bishop,  Patry  Shull,  Lucinda  Ireland, 
Mary  Ireland  and  Isabel  Shegila. 

The  Methodist  society  at  Burnettsville  was  organized  in  1843,  with 
twenty-five  members,  namely  :  John  Herman,  Mary  Herman,  Stephen 
McPherson,  Lucetta  McPherson,  Caleb  Mahuren,  Matilda  Mahuren, 
Larkin  Herman,  Sarah  Herman,  John  Shaw,  Susan  Shaw,  William 
Shaw,  Eli  Shaw,  Catharine  Davis,  Isaac  Mahuren,  John  E.  Dale,  Joshua 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  153 

Tarn,  Mitchell  Tarn,  Catharine  Dodge,  Prudence  Dale,  Maria  Davis, 
Mary  Shaw,  Martha  Million,  Margaret  Dale,  William  Stewart  and  Sarah 
Stewart.  This  church  has  been  served  by  the  following-named  ministers  : 
G.  W.  Stafford,  1843-44  ;  B.  Webster,  1844-45  ;  G.  W.  Warner, 
1845-47  ;  J.  Hatfield,  1847-48 ;  B.  Williams,  1848-49  ;  J.  M.  Rod- 
gers,  1849-50  ;  J.  B.  Ball,  1851 ;  W.  J.  Coptner,  1851-52 ;  D.  Dun- 
ham, 1852-53  ;  William  Reeder,  1858-54  ;  P.  J.  Beswick,  1854-55  ; 
W.  Hancock,  1855-56;  F.  Cox,  1856-57;  J.  B.  Mershan,  1857-58; 
W.  Beckner,  1858-59 ;  J.  B.  Adell,  1860-61  ;  J.  S.  Budd,  1861-62  ; 
J.  L.  Boyd,  1862-63;  C.  W.  Farr,  1863-64  ;  H.  C.  Fraley,  1864-66  ; 
G.  W.  Warner,  1866-67  ;  J.  S.  Budd,  1867-68;  C.  L.  Smith,  1868-69  ; 
J.  W.  Pierce,  1869-70 ;  L.  T.  Armstrong,  1870-71;  W.  H.  Wood, 
1871-72;  S.  Barcus,  1872-73;  B.  F.  Nadell,  1873-74;  F.  Mason, 
1874-75  ;  J.  E.  Steel,  1875-76  ;  J.  W.  Jackson,  1876-78 ;  Jephtha  Bi- 
court,  1878-79 ;  R.  H.  Calvert,  1879-80  ;  C.  R.  Ball  1880-81 ;  W. 
Hall,  1881-83.  The  church  now  has  a  membership  of  fifty-two  in  good 
standing,  and  is  in  a  prosperous  condition.  The  present  oflficers  are  D. 
F.  Wilson,  Class  Leader ;  James  F.  Howard,  G.  W.  Calahan,  John 
Nethercott  and  Samuel  D.  Meek,  Trustees;  J.  F.  Hourand,  James  H. 
Cochran,  William  E.  Myers  and  D.  F.  Wilson,  Stewards ;  and  G.  W. 
Calahan,  Sunday  School  Superintendent.  The  church  was  built  in  the 
fall  of  1847,  and  cost  near  $900. 

The  Oldest  Resident,  etc. — Andrew  Hannah  has  been  the  longest  a 
resident  of  the  township  of  any  man  now  residing  in  it,  he  having  moved 
into  it  in  the  spring  of  1833,  and  remained  a  resident  of  it  ever  since. 
John  Hannah  owns  120  acres  of  land  which  he  entered  in  1834,  and 
which  has  never  been  transferred.  Jackson  Township  has  as  good  soil, 
as  good  men,  and  as  good-looking  women  as  any  other  township  in  the 
county.  Her  people  have  always  been  in  the  van  in  all  progressive 
movements.  May  virtue  continue  to  make  her  abiding  place  among 
them,  and  may  they  continue  to  labor  zealously  in  pushing  forward  the 
car  of  progress. 


154  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER     VII 


BY    M.    T.    MATTHEWS. 


Princeton  Township — Origin  of  Name — Organization  and  First 
Officers — The  First  Settlers — Initiatory  Events — Villages 
of  Seafield  and  Wolcott— Growth  of  Education  and  Religion 
— Secret  Societies — Justices  of  the  Peace — Incidents, 


FIRST    settlement. 


THE  first  settlement  in  Princeton  Township  had  its  origin  in  a  portion 
known  as  Palestine,  in  January,  1843.     In  the  fall  of  1842,  Henry 
Pugh,  Nathaniel  Rogers  and  John  Cain  arrived,  and  began  the  erection 
of  three  log  houses.     Pugh's  house  was  erected  on  Section  8,  Cain's  on 
Section  5,  and  that  of  Rogers  on  the  same  section.     Pugh  completed  his 
house  in  the  fall  of  1842,  and  in  1843,  in  January,  he  moved  his  family 
from  Union  Township,  this  county,  into  the  land  of  Palestine,  and  began 
life  in  the  hewed-log  cabin.     This  family  is  said  to  have  been  the  first 
one  to  have  commenced  permanent  settlement  in  the  township.     A  few 
squatters  had  lived  a  few  months  in  the  township  in  1842.     In  the  spring 
of  1842,  Nathaniel  Rogers  and  John  Cain  became  residents  of  the  Pal- 
estine   settlement.      The  humble  log  domiciles  that  had  been  begun  in 
1842,  were  now  in  readiness  for  occupancy.     While  there  were  settle- 
ments making  and  improvements  constructing  in  the  land  of  Palestine  in 
the  early  spring  of  1843,  the  attention  of  the  historian  is  called  to  Black 
Oak  Point,  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  township,  where  a  settlement, 
that  was  afterward  known  as  the  Black  Oak   settlement,  was  being  made, 
first  by  James  Brown,  from    Ohio,   who    was    soon  followed   by   Jacob 
Myrtle,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Gooddale,  and  Mr.  Hemphill.     Mr.  Brown 
was  the  first  man  to   build  a  house  in   this  part  of  the  township.     The 
building  was  constructed  of  round  logs,  and  was  14x18  feet  in  size,  had 
a  puncheon  floor,  one  window,  and  but  for  the  greased  paper  in  it    it 
would  have  been  lightless,  and  the  first  cabin  of   Black  Oak   settlement 
would  have  been  totally  incomplete  without  the  old  family  fire-place.    The 
hewed-log  houses  erected  in  Palestine  in  1842  were  all  supplied  with  the 
conveniences  of  that  day.     The  houses  put  up  by  Henry  Pugh  and  John 
Cain  were  each  16x20  feet,  while  the  one  built  by  Nathaniel  Rogers  was 
16x22  feet.      Henry  Pugh,  a  noted  early-day  hewer,  did  the  hewing  for 
these  houses.     Some  of  the  other  first  settlers  in  the  Palestine  settlement 


PRINCETON  TOWNSHIP.  155 

were  Daniel  Nyce,  Cornelius  Stryker,  Anson  Jewett,  Mortimer  Modire 
and  William  Bunnell.  Joseph  Sewart  settled  in  the  township  in  1845. 
Old  Mr.  Jewett  had  commenced  in  Princeton  as  early  as  1844.  A 
man  hy  the  name  of  Coon  came  in  1844.  J.  B.  Bunnell  began  life  in 
the  wild  and  Western  lands  in  1846.  J.  H.  Lear  came  in  1845,  R.  C. 
Johnson  was  one  of  the  first  men  in  the  township.  James  Cain,  Corne- 
lius Van  Der  Volgen,  Isaac  Chase,  Elias  Esra,  Aden  Nordyke,  John  C 
Morman,  Israel  Nordyke,  Thomas  Gillpatrick,  and  a  few  others  whose 
names  could  not  be  remembered,  are  the  old  pioneers  of  Princeton  Town- 
ship. In  1846,  settlements  in  the  township  became  more  numerous. 
Only  those  old  pioneers  who  are  yet  living  in  the  township  can  realize 
the  great  changes  in  the  same  since  its  first  settlement.  The  entire  town- 
ship has  undergone  extensive  and  important  changes.  Then  the  whole 
territory  of  which  the  township  has  been  formed  was  one  vast  wild,  with 
its  extensive  prairies  and  its  groves  of  the  oak  wood.  Over  these  prairie 
lands  and  through  these  forests  roamed,  almost  unscared,  the  wild  deer 
and  the  voracious  wolf  An  old  settler  tells  that,  in  the  years  1848  and 
1844,  flocks  of  seventy  deer  could  frequently  be  seen  on  the  prairies,  and 
as  many  as  five  had  perished  in  a  single  day  at  the  hands  of  the  merciless 
hunter.  The  rude  log  hut  has  been  exchanged  for  more  comfortable 
homes,  and  grass-covered  stable  has  been  supplemented  by  the  spacious 
frame  barn.  A  portion  of  Princeton  Township  that  was  once  covered 
with  water  during  the  whole  year  is  now  being  cultivated,  and  produces 
large  returns  of  cultivated  vegetation.  The  time  was  when  farmers  were 
compelled  to  haul  their  wheat  and  corn  to  Chicago  or  Michigan  City. 
Imagine  a  farmer  with  a  four- ox  team  hauling  corn  to  Chicago,  and  re- 
turning with  a  barrel  of  salt  and  a  few  groceries.  IIow  changed  are  the 
commercial  advantages  of  Princeton  Township  ! 

Name,  Creation  and  Boundaries. — Princetown  Township  derived  its 
name  from  a  ship  which  in  days  past  plowed  the  Atlantic,  and  which 
brought  to  America's  free  shore  Cornelius  Van  Der  Volgen  from  England 
in  1843,  and  who  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  territory  now  compos- 
ing Princeton  Township.  On  the  occasion  of  the  creation  of  the  township, 
Mr.  Van  Der  Volgen  suggested  to  the  Board  of  Commissioners  that  the 
name  Princeton  be  applied  to  the  new  township,  in  honor  of  the  grand  old 
vessel  in  which  he  "  came  over."  The  Commissioners  accepted  the  name. 
At  the  March  term  of  the  Commissioners'  Court  in  1844,  a  petition  was 
presented,  bearing  the  names  of  a  number  of  the  citizens  of  the  territory 
which  was  afterward  known  as  Princeton  Township,  praying  that  such 
territory  should  be  known  as  a  new  civil  township,  and  thereupon  it  was 
ordered  by  the  board  that  the  territory  described  as  follows  should  have 
a    separate     township    organization :      Commencing    at     the    northeast 


156  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

corner  of  Section  1,  in  Township  28  north,  of  Range  5  west, 
and  running  south  on  said  section  line  to  the  north  line  of  Big 
Creek  Township;  then  west  along  said  line  to  the  west  line  of  White 
County  ;  thence  north  along  this  line  to  the  corner  of  White  County  ; 
thence  east  along  said  county  line  six  miles ;  thence  north  on  said  county 
line  five  miles;  thence  east  three  miles,  to  the  place  of  beginning.  It  was 
further  ordered  by  the  board  that  the  elections  of  Princeton  Township 
should  be  held  at  the  house  of  Jordan  Cain,  and  James  G.  Brown  was  ap- 
pointed Inspector  of  Elections  for  the  first  year.  By  an  order  of  the 
board,  the  place  of  holding  elections  was  changed  to  the  house  of  Daniel 
Nyce,  June  3,  1844. 

Princeton  Township  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  county,  and  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  Jasper  County  and  Monon  Township,  on  the  east  by 
Honey  Creek  Township,  on  the  south  by  West  Point  Township,  and  on 
the  west  by  Benton  County.  In  the  township  there  are  sixty-three  square 
miles.  The  following  are  among  the  first  persons  to  enter  or  purchase 
land  in  Princeton  Township :  James  F.  Adams,  1847 ;  John  Stuart, 
1847;  Alfred  Harrison,  1846;  Thomas  Gillpatrick,  1844;  Aden 
Nordyke,  1846;  Israel  Nordyke,  1846;  Eli  W.  Morman,  1850; 
R.  C.  Johnson,  1845 ;  Jonathan  White,  1846 ;  John  Birch, 
1847  ;  James  McKillip,  1847  ;  Cornelius  Stryker,  1850  ;  Anson  Jewett, 
1847;  Elizabeth  Pugh,  1845 ;  Mortimer  Modire,  1845;  William  S. 
Brown,  1853;  Hiram  Lear,  1847;  John  Dyre,  1842;  Daniel  Nyce, 
1842;  Peter  Benham,  1846  ;  Cornelius  Van  Der  Volgen,  1843;  Joseph 
Stewart,  1841 ;  Comfort  (prominent  in  the  first  history  of  Pulaski  Coun- 
ty), 1843  ;  Isaac  S.  Vinson,  1851 ;  William  Coon,  1843  ;  William  Blake, 
1847.  Joseph  Stewart  was  the  first  man  to  enter  land  in  Princeton  Town- 
ship. 

Elections. — At  an  election  held  at  the  house  of  Daniel  Nyce,  in 
Princeton  Township,  on  the  4th  of  August  (first  Monday),  1845,  the  fol- 
lowing men  voted  :  Nathaniel  Rogers,  William  Bunnell,  Cornelius  Van 
Der  Volgen,  John  C.  Lielfor,  Nathaniel  B.  Volger,  Daniel  Nyce,  James 
Cain,  Mortimer  Modire,  Henry  Pugh,  R.  C.  Johnson,  Joseph  Stewart, 
Isaac  Chase,  Elias  Esra,  Aden  Nordyke,  John  C.  Morman,  Israel  Nor- 
dyke, Thomas  Gillpatrick  and  Anson  Jewett.  This  was  the  vote  at  the 
State  election  in  1845.  At  an  election  held  in  the  township  on  the  6th 
of  April  (first  Monday),  1846,  Elias  Esra  received  twenty  votes  for  Su- 
pervisor of  Roads,  and  Robert  Nordyke  received  twenty  votes  for  In- 
spector of  Election.  For  the  office  of  Fence  Viewer,  Eli  Morman  re- 
ceived two  votes,  Anson  Wood  received  two  votes,  Nathaniel  Rogers  one 
vote,  Cornelius  Stryker  one  vote,  John  H.  Lear  one  vote,  and  Israel 
Nordyke  one  vote.     James  Street   received  twenty    votes    for   Constable, 


PRINCETON  TOWNSHIP.  157 

and  John  Morman  received  one  vote  for  the  same  office.  At  this  election, 
the  following  men  cast  their  votes :  Elias  Morman,  Israel  Nordyke,  John 
Cain,  John  Birch,  John  Moran,  John  Lear,  Thomas  Gill,  Joseph  Lear, 
Anson  Wood,  Henry  Pugh,  Daniel  Nyce,  J.  R.  Benham,  Andrew  Mor- 
man, M.  Dyer,  James  Street,  Aden  Nordyke,  Benjamin  Gillpatrick, 
Elias  Esra,  Cornelius  Stryker,  Anson  Jewett,  N.  J.  Rogers  and  Leander 
H.  Jewett.  The  following  persons  voted  at  an  election  held  in  the  town- 
ship on  the  first  Monday  in  August,  1846  :  Anson  Jewett,  James  G-. 
Brown,  J,  C.  Moran,  J.  C.  Lueliper,  Joseph  Woolsey,  Henry  Pugh,  Ben- 
jamin Gillpatrick,  John  Lear,  Robert  B.  Overton,  Isaac  Jacks,  Aden 
Nordyke,  Daniel  Nyce,  John  Cain,  J.  Stewart,  J.  Lear,  F.  B.  Richling, 
Thomas  Gillpatrick,  R.  ,G.  Johnson,  N.  S.  Rogers,  J.  Moran,  L.  H. 
Jewett,  H.  F.  Lear,  J.  B.  Benham,  C.  Stryker,  Elias  Morman,  John 
Birch,  Elias  Esra,  A.  L.  Morman,  Robert  Nordyke,  Jonathan  Esra,  Will- 
iam Dunham,  Valentine  Mercer,  Thomas  Coon,  Joseph  Stewart,  Israel 
Nordyke,  Jacob  Evans  and  Nathaniel  Evans.  Of  this  election,  J.  B. 
Brown  and  R.  C.  Johnson  were  Clerks ;  Joseph  Stewart  and  Jonathan 
Esra,  Judges  ;  and  Robert  Nordyke,  Inspector. 

The  Flood  and  the  Ague  in  18/^4-. — The  year  1844  is  known  as  the 
wet  one  in  the  early  history  of  the  township.  Old  settlers  say  that  it 
commenced  to  rain  on  the  10th  of  May,  and  rained  almost  continually 
until  the  4th  of  July.  So  wet  was  it  that  farmers  could  not  plant  their 
corn,  and  most  of  the  ground  in  the  township  that  had  been  prepared  for 
corn  could  not  be  used  on  account  of  the  flood.  One  old  pioneer  tells 
that  it  rained  so  hard  and  long  that  for  two  days  and  a  night  the  water 
stood  six  inches  deep  all  over  his  cabin  floor,  and  he  was  compelled  to  get 
under  the  dining  table  to  keep  out  of  the  rain.  It  quit  raining  about  the 
1st  of  July,  and  then  a  dry  season  began  and  the  ague  commenced  in 
earnest.  During  July  and  August,  the  inhabitants  shook  as  only  one 
having  the  disease  in  those  times  could  shake.  There  were  not  enough 
well  persons  in  the  township  to  administer  to  the  wants  of  those  who  were 
ill.  The  fever  raged  furiously,  attacking  whomsoever  it  might,  until 
midwinter  of  1844-45.  For  several  years  the  regular  ague  seasons  were 
known  in  the  township.  The  house  of  John  H.  Lear  was,  for  a  number 
of  years,  known  as  the  quinine  depot  for  all  that  section  of  country.  Mr. 
Lear  would  purchase  the  drug  in  large  quantities  at  wholesale,  and  haul  it 
by  ox  team  to  the  settlement,  and  then  the  neighbors  would  come  and  get 
as  much  as  they  wanted  at  once  or  enough  to  do  them  until  the  next  sup- 
ply should  be  brought  on.  Mr.  Lear  himself  was  not  a  regular  prac- 
ticing physician,  but  he  was  known  as  a  great  ague  comforter,  and  would 
"  dish  out  "  the  quinine  in  proportions  suitable  to  the  applicant.  But  the 
scene  is  changed,  and  in  1870,  the  ague  has,  to  a  great  extent,  lost  its 
grip  in  the  township. 


158  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

Birth.  Death  and  Marriage. — To  Nathaniel  and  Rebecca  Rogers  is 
supposed  to  have  been  the  first  white  child  born  in  the  township.  The 
birth  occurred  in  the  month  of  April,  1844.  A  man  by  the  name  of 
Porter,  was  the  first  who  died  in  Princeton  Township.  The  death  oc- 
curred in  the  fall  of  1844,  and  the  remains  were  laid  at  rest  in  what  has 
since  become  known  as  Dobbins'  Graveyard.  The  first  couple  married 
in  the  township  were  John  Marine  and  Rebecca  Morman.  Mr.  and ' 
Mrs.  Nordyke,  now  of  Monticello,  were  among  the  first  persons  who  were 
married  in  the  township. 

Schools  and  Churches. — The  first  school  in  the  township  was  taught 
in  the  Palestine  settlement,  as  claimed  by  some,  while  others  think  the 
first  was  taught  in  the  Nordyke  settlement.  There  is  not  much  diff'erence 
however,  in  the  time  of  these  schools.  The  one  in  the  land  of  Palestine 
was  taught  in  1849,  and  Edwin  Bond  was  the  teacher,  while  there  is 
good  authority  that  the  one  in  the  land  of  the  Nordykes  was  taught  as 
early  as  1848,  and  B.  Wilson  Smith  taught  the  first  school.  These  schools 
were  taught  in  similarly  constructed  schoolhouses.  The  one  in  Palestine 
was  a  round-log  structure,  16x18  feet,  that  stood  on  Mortimer  Modire's 
land.  This  house  diifered  from  most  of  the  schoolhouses  of  the  country. 
It  had  two  windows,  instead  of  one,  extending  the  whole  length  of  the 
house,  one  on  each  side.  The  Nordyke  Schoolhouse  was  16x18  feet,  and 
of  hewed  logs.  Both  of  these  houses  were  fully  furnished  with  puncheon 
seats,  and  desks  of  the  same  material,  and  the  all-consuming  fire-place. 
The  first  frame  schoolhouse  in  the  township  was  built  in  about  1854,  in 
the  Nordyke  settlement,  about  a  half  mile  north  of  the  first  schoolhouse 
that  had  been  erected  in  that  settlement.  The  township  now  has  eleven 
frame  schoolhouses,  besides  the  splendid  one  in  the  town  of  Wolcott.  The 
Wolcott  school  building  does  credit  to  the  town  and  the  township.  It  was 
erected  in  1875,  by  means  appropriated  by  the  township  and  by  private 
donations.  The  building  is  forty- eight  feet  square,  two  stories  high,  and 
cost  about  16,000.  The  plot  of  ground  (two  blocks)  was  donated  by 
Anson  Wolcott.  Prof.  Wright  was  the  first  teacher  in  the  new  school- 
house.  In  1879,  the  school  was  divided  into  three  departments,  and  has 
since  been  known  as  the  Wolcott  Graded  School.  Prof.  William  Ireland 
is  the  present  Principal ;  Homer  Debell  has  charge  of  the  Intermediate 
Department,  and  Miss  Clara  Hutton  is  the  Primary  teacher.  The 
school  has  an  average  attendance  of  120  pupils. 

The  Christian  Church  in  the  Palestine  settlement  was  the  first 
meeting-house  in  Princeton  Township.  This  house  of  worship  is  a  frame 
structure  and  was  built  (as  nearly  as  could  be  ascertained)  about  twenty- 
five  years  ago  ;  is  24x36  feet  and  cost  about  |600.  The  organizers  of 
this  church  or  class  were  Robert  C.  Johnson  and  wife,  Jackson  Dobbins 


PRINCETON   TOWNSHIP.  159 

and  wife,  John  Dobbins  and  wife  and  Preston  Lawson  and  wife.  The 
second  church  built  in  the  township  was  commenced  in  1872  and  fin- 
ished in  1873.  The  building  is  a  neat  frame,  36x40  feet  and  cost  $2,600. 
Mrs.  Anson  Wolcott  donated  the  ground.  This  house  belongs  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  denomination.  The  class  was  organized  at  Seafield 
in  1861,  and  then  was  moved  to  Wolcott.  Some  of  the  first  members 
were  John  McDonald  and  wife,  George  and  Sylvester  Bicourt  and  old 
Mr.  Sexton  and  wife.  Rev.  Vance  is  the  present  minister.  The  third 
church  erected  in  the  township  is  the  Christian  Church  of  Wolcott, 
which  was  built  in  1873.  This  is  also  a  frame  structure,  34x54  feet,  and 
cost  $3,500.  The  first  trustees  were  J.  B.  Bunnell,  elected  for  five  years; 
Noble  Nordyke,  for  four  years ;  A.  W.  Dyre,  for  three  years  ;  M.  T. 
Didlake,  for  two  years,  and  J.  M.  Brown,  for  one  year.  Rev.  William 
Ireland  is  the  present  minister.  The  fourth  and  last  church  built  in 
Princeton  Township  is  the  Palestine  Baptist  Church,  erected  in  the 
Palestine  settlement,  in  1874.  The  building  is  a  frame,  26x42  feet,  and 
cost  about  $2,000.  Previous  to  the  erection  of  th^e  churches  in  the 
township,  public  services  were  held  at  private  houses  and  at  the  school- 
houses. 

Tavern. — The  first  tavern  in  the  township  was  built  by  Henry  Pugh 
in  1862,  in  the  town  of  Wolcott;  was  destroyed  by  fire,  1872.  Mr.  Pugh 
rebuilt  in  1873. 

Railroad. — The  Pittsburgh,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railway  extends 
through  the  township,  east  and  west,  and  was  completed  through  on  the 
last  day  of  November,  1860.  The  building  of  this  internal  improvement 
through  the  township  greatly  increased  the  value  of  land  in  it,  and  property 
that  was  once  almost  valueless  is  now  very  valuable 

Seafield — a  station  on  the  Pittsburgh,  Chicago  k  St.  Louis  Railway, 
three  miles  east  of  Wolcott.  The  first  business  house  at  Seafield  was 
established  in  1861,  by  I.  &  N.  Nordyke,  who  kept  a  general  merchan- 
dise store,  and  Israel  Nordyke  was  the  first  Postmaster.  The  present 
business  of  Seafield  is  conducted  by  John  Kerlin,  who  has  a  general  store, 
is  Postmaster,  railroad  agent,  express  agent  and  a  general  servant  to  the 
wants  of  the  public. 

Wolcott. — This  is  a  town  of  about  350  inhabitants,  situated  on  the 
Pittsburgh,  Chicago  k  St.  Louis  Railway,  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
Princeton  Township;  was  platted  or  laid  out  by  Ebenezer  and  Maria  Wol- 
cott, on  the  15th  of  May,  1861,  and  is  on  land  described  as  follows :  The 
commencing  point  of  the  survey  is  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Lot  8,  in 
Block  F,  and  is  180  feet  distant  at  right  angles  from  the  center  line  of  the 
Pittsburgh,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railway  and  thirty  feet  west  of  the 
range  line,  which  runs  north  and  south  in  the  center  of  Range  street 


160  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

north,  eighty-eight  degrees  west,  and  the  town  is  laid  out  parallel  with 
and  at  right  angles  to  the  railroad.  Another  description  is,  that  the 
town  is  laid  out  in  the  eastern  part  of  Section  25  and  the  western  part 
of  Section  30.  The  streets  were  all  laid  out  sixty  feet  wide,  and  the 
alleys  sixteen  feet  wide;  the  lots  are  all  60x120  feet,  except  those 
along  Range  street,  which  are  fractional.  The  plat  consisted  of 
ninety-six  lots  and  the  following  streets,  running  east  and  west :  North, 
Johnson,  Market,  Scott,  Anderson  and  South;  and  Range,  Second,  Third 
and  Fourth  running  north  and  south.  The  first  and  only  addition  to 
the  town  of  Wolcott  was  made  on  the  1st  of  May,  1865,  by  the 
original  platters ;  the  addition  consisted  of  forty-seven  lots.  Wol- 
cott came  very  near  never  existing,  as  Clearmont,  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  east  of  the  present  site  of  Wolcott  at  one  time  had  the  lead,  but 
after  the  town  was  laid  out  the  citizens  of  Clearmont  were  induced  not 
to  "take  up  their  beds  and  walk,"  but  to  remove  their  houses  to  the  site 
of  Wolcott.  This  was  done  in  the  winter  of  1861  and  1862.  In  1860 
(fall),  the  first  store  was  started  in  Wolcott  by  the  Stetler  Brothers.  This 
firm  kept  a  kind  of  a  general  store  and  kept  only  the  most  staple  articles 
of  merchandise.  William  Jamason  was  the  first  grocer  in  the  place. 
This  enterprise  was  commenced  about  the  same  time  that  the  Stetler 
brothers  started  their  store.  John  Stetler  was  the  first  Postmaster  in  the 
place,  and  Dr.  A.  C.  Ballou  was  the  town's  first  physician.  John  Dobbins 
was  the  first  blacksmith  in  the  place.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the 
town  was  platted  at  the  beginning  of  the  late  war  and  there  was  very 
little  improvement  made  in  the  place  until  after  the  close  of  the  rebellion. 
In  1872,  the  town  had  gained  sufficient  dimensions  to  be  classed  as  an 
incorporated  village,  and  accordingly  the  necessary  steps  were  taken  on 
the  3d  of  May,  1873.  The  first  officers  of  the  incorporation  were: 
Noble  Nordyke,  W.  H.  Dyke  and  A.  S.  Pattee,  Trustees;  C.  A.  G. 
Rayhouse,  Clerk  ;  James  D.  Sherman,  Marshal ;  J.  F.  Warner,  Treas- 
urer ;  James  0.  Johnson,  Assessor.  The  corporation  flourished  for  a 
brief  period  ;  had  enacted  and  enforced  its  ordinances.  The  goose  ordi- 
nance of  1874  is  said  to  have  occasioned  more  ill  feeling  on  the  part  of  a 
a  few  individuals  than  all  other  ordinances  created  in  the  history  of  the 
corporation.  The  Town  Council  was  termed  the  goose  committee  by 
several  of  the  geese  owners.  In  1875,  it  was  discovered  that  the  incor- 
poration was  an  expense  without  benefit,  that  the  town  could  not  receive 
aid  from  the  township  in  building  a  schoolhouse  as  long  as  it  remained 
incorporated,  and  thereupon,  in  the  spring  of  1875,  the  following  peti- 
tion was  circulated  and  signed  by  the  following  persons : 

"  To  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Town  of  Wolcott,  Wliite  County,  State 
of  Indiana  :  We,  the  undersigned,  legal  voters  of  the  said  town  of  Wolcott, 


PRINCETON   TOWNSHIP.  161 

hereby  apply  to  your  Honorable  Board,  and  ask  for  a  dissolution  of  the  cor- 
poration of  the  said  town  of  Wolcott.  The  reasons  which  induce  us  to  make 
this  application  are  as  follows :  '  The  town  is  too  small  to  be  benefited 
by  such  corporation,  except  at  our  expense,  and  that  would  be  unwar- 
ranted. That  in  our  present  condition  the  advantages  are  outweighed  by 
the  disadvantages.' "  Noble  Nordyke,  William  Imes,  T.  J.  Bunnell, 
S.  W.  Dobbins,  J.  Commer,  J.  B.  Bunnell,  A.  Bombay,  Thomas  Kin- 
sey,  B.  P.  Lisk,  G.  A.  Hemphill,  James  0.  Johnson,  W.  H.  Bombay,  S. 
H.  Jones,  E.  A.  Jones,  E.  W.  Peck,  J.  D.  Sherman,  H.  Miller,  J.  W. 
Chambers,  John  Finney,  A.  W.  Lisk,  M.  F.  Comett,  M.  T.  Didlake,  C. 
A.  G.  Rayhouser,  S.  J.  Dobbins,  J.  T.  Leatherman,  John  Swartsell, 
James  M.  Burch,  Phillip  Browne,  Frank  McDonough,  J.  B.  Hemphill, 
and  J.  N.  Bone.  The  dissolution  of  the  corporation  occurred  in  May. 
1876.  The  last  oflRcers  of  the  town  (elected  on  the  4th  of  May,  1874) 
were  R.  A.  Stephens,  R.  C.  Galbreath  and  W.  H.  Dyke,    Town  Board ; 

C.  A.  G.  Rayhouser,  Clerk ;  Henry  Stammer,  Marshal ;  Alfred  Plumer, 
Assessor ;  A.  S.  Pattee,  Treasurer.  Thus  it  was  with  the  corporation  of 
Wolcott,  only  a  few  days,  but  not  very  full  of  trouble. 

Wolcott' s  Present  Business. — The  business  of  Wolcott  is  represented 
by  the  following  persons  :  Dry  goods,  D.  K.  Jackson,  Jerome  Rigby  and 
W.  Lisk  ;  grocers,  R.  Wright  and  A.  W.  Dyke ;  hardware  and  harness, 
Eldridge  and  Wynekoof;  drugs,  C.  A.  G.  Rayhouser;  grain  dealer, 
A.  Wolcott ;  blacksmiths,  George  Hemphill,  Horace  Thornburge  and 
W.  W.  Leek ;  carpenters,  William  Shire  and  Thomas  Pugh ;  wagon- 
maker,  John  Dun ;    meat  market,   Messrs.    Eldridge   &    Wynekoof  and 

D.  J.  Jackson ;  shoe-maker  and  barber,  Martin  Schneikenberger  ;  paint- 
ers, Frank  Sweet  and  Albert  Graham  ;  railroad  agent,  telegraph  opera- 
tor and  express  agent,  J.  C.  Northlane;  milliner.  Miss  Mary  Darrow; 
dress-maker,  Mrs.  Berry ;  hay  barns,  Eben  Wolcott  and  Samuel 
Dobbins;  lawyers,  J.  B.  Bunnell,  W.  W.  Leek,  and  C.  H.  Baxter; 
physician,  F.  A.  Grant ;  hotels,  American  House,  Henry  Pugh,  proprie- 
tor, Wolcott  House,  Mrs.  Peck,  proprietress.  Wolcott  contains  one  of 
the  largest  ear-corn  cribs  in  the  world.  It  has  the  most  perfect  ventilation 
of  any  ear-corn  crib  in  the  country,  and  has  a  capacity  of  45,000  bushels 
of  ear-corn.  This  building  was  erected  according  to  the  specifications  of 
A.  Wolcott.  The  hay  barn,  operated  by  Eben  Wolcott,  is  also  one  of 
the  largest  in  the  State.  Two  presses  are  used,  each  of  which  has  a  capac- 
ity for  pressing  36,000  bales  of  hay  during  the  "  pressing"  season.  J.  H. 
Baxter  is  the  present  Postmaster  at  Wolcott.  The  town  has  two  secret 
organizations,  viz. :  Masonic  and  Sovereigns  of  the  Red  Star.  The  Ma- 
sonic Lodge,  No.  180,  was  instituted  in  May,  1866,  and  the  charter  was 
granted  on  the  30th  of  May,  1866.     John  B.  Bunnell,  John  B.  Hemp- 


162  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

hill  and  William  H,  H.  Rader  were  the  charter  members.  The  first 
officers  were  J.  B.  Bunnell,  W.  M. ;  J.  B.  Hemphill,  J.  W. ;  William 
H.  H.  Rader,  S.  W. 

The  present  officers  are  as  follows:  John  B.  Hemphill,  W.  M.; 
Thomas  E.  Pugh,  S.  W.;  E.B.  Debell,  J.  W.;  Isaac  M.  Davis,  Treasurer  ; 
C.  A.  G.  Rayhouser,  Secretary;  George  A.  Hemphill,  Tiler  ;  James  K. 
Davis,  S.  D.;  W.  H.  Dyke,  J.  D.;  James  Hemphill  and  Moses  G.  Dob- 
bins, Stewards  ;  Preston  A.  Lawson,  Chaplain.  The  lodge  has  property 
valued  at  $500,  thirty  working  members,  and  is  in  good  condition.  The 
lodge  of  the  Sovereigns  of  the  Red  Star  was  organized,  and  the  charter 
granted  by  R.  L.  Harvey,  of  Monticello,  on  the  31st  of  October,  1882. 
This  is  a  new  organization,  and  Mr.  Harvey  is  the  principal  originator. 
The  charter  members  of  the  Wolcott  Lodge  are  as  follows :  Hugh  Mc- 
Donald, Frank  Sweet,  Ezra  P.  Lisk,  James  Leek,  Samuel  0.  Dyre,  T.  A. 
Grant,  W.  W.  Leek,  C.  Schneikenberger,  A.  Graham,  William  Schier, 
S.  A.  Worthing,  Otis  Trowbridge  and  F.  W.  Eldridge.  The  following  are 
the  first  and  present  officers:  Sovereign  Commander,  William  Schier; 
Sovereign  Chancellor,  F.  W.  Eldridge ;  Lieutenant  Commander,  Frank 
Sweet;  Lieutenant  of  Citadel,  Hugh  McDonald;  Secretary,  W.  W. 
Leek;  Treasurer,  S.  A.  Worthing;  Bookkeeper,  A.  Graham.  "Tem- 
perance, Truth  and  Charity"  constitutes  the  motto  of  the  Sovereigns  of 
the  Red  Star.  The  new  organization  certainly  has  an  exceedingly  bright 
future. 

Justices  of  the  Peace. — The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Justices  of  the 
Peace  in  Princeton  Township,  from  its  creation  until  1886  :  James  G. 
Burnes,  elected  on  the  first  Monday  in  April,  1844,  term  expired,  1849 ; 
Anson  Jewett,  1847  to  1851  ;  resigned,  November  24,  1847 ;  Robert  S. 
Johnson,  1849  to  1854;  James  Templeton,  1854  to  1858;  James 
Templeton,  1858  to  1862 ;  James  Templeton,  1862  to  1866  ;  John  B. 
Bunnell,  1866  to  1870;  Lewis  A.  Goodrich,  1870  to  1874;  C.  A.  G. 
Rayhouser,  1874  to  1878  ;  Lewis  A.  Goodrich,  1878  to  1882 ;  Ambrose 
More,  1882  to  1886. 


MONON  TOWNSHIP.  163 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

BY   ED   A.   MOSSMAN. 

MoNON  Township — Origin  of  Name — Early  Elections  —  Early 
Settlers — A  Dead  Town — Indian  Mounds — Early  Births  and 
Marriages — Early  Industries — Bradford  or  Monon — Suicides, 
ETC. — Schools,  etc. — Religious  Organizations — Miscellaneous 
items. 

THIS  township  is  traversed  by  two  creeks,  one  of  which  is  known  as 
the  Big  Monon,  and  the  other  as  the  Little  Monon,  and  it  is  from 
these  that  its  name  is  derived.  The  name  of  the  creeks,  and  likewise  the 
name  of  the  township,  were  formerly  spelled  Monong ;  but  latterly  the 
final  letter  has  been  omitted.  The  name  of  the  larger  of  these  two 
streams  has  undergone  a  further  change  from  that  by  which  it  was  known 
among  the  original  owners  of  the  soil — the  dusky  denizens  of  the  western 
wilds.  Among  them  it  was  known  as  the  Metamonong.  However,  as 
the  first  two  syllables  of  this  name  signify  "big,"  in  the  Indian  tongue, 
the  signification  remains  the  same,  notwithstanding  the/o?-m  of  the  name 
is  changed.  This  is  a  very  large  township,  being  very  nearly  equal  in 
extent  to  two  Congressional  townships.  It  was  created  by  an  order  of 
the  Board  of  Commissioners,  January  5,  1836,  upon  a  petition  signed  by 
eleven  citizens.  As  at  first  created,  it  embraced  all  of  White  County, 
north  of  the  line  dividing  Sections  16  and  21,  of  Township  27  north,  of 
Range  3  west,  and  west  of  line  dividing  Ranges  2  and  8  west.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1836,  the  south  line  of  the  township  was  moved  one  mile  to 
the  north. 

Early  Elections. — The  first  election  in  the  township  was  held  at  the 
house  of  Cornelius  Sutton,  on  the  first  Monday,  and  4th  day  of  April, 
1836.  The  voters  at  that  election  were  Samuel  Gray,  David  Berkey, 
Elihu  Line,  Thomas  Wilson,  Ira  Bacon,  James  K.  Wilson,  Cornelius 
Sutton,  John  McNary,  Elias  Lowther,  William  Wilson,  James  H.  Sut- 
ton, Melchi  Gray,  Silas  Cowger  and  Isaac  W.  Blake ;  Judges,  Melchi 
Gray,  Elihu  Line  and  Ira  Baker ;  Clerks,  Samuel  Gray  and  David 
Berkey.  For  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Silas  Cowger  received  fourteen  votes  ; 
for  Constable,  Isaac  W.  Blake  received  thirteen  votes  ;  for  Supervisor, 
Elias  Lowther  received  ten  votes  and  James  K.  Wilson  one  vote ;  for 
Overseers  of  the  Poor,  James  K.  Wilson  received  six  votes,  Cornelius 
Sutton,  eight  votes,  and  Elias  Lowther,  one  vote;  for  Fence  Viewei',  Sam- 


164  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

uel  Gray  received  seven  votes,  and  Joseph  K.  Sutton  seven  votes,  and  for 
Inspector  of  Elections,  Elihu  Line  received  fourteen  votes. 

The  second  election  in  the  township  was  held  at  the  house  of  Elias 
Cowger,  on  the  first  Monday  in  April,  1837,  and  the  voters  thereat  were: 
Elihu  Line,  Thomas  Nang,  Amos  Cooper,  Iru  Bacon,  David  Berkey, 
Cornelius  Sutton,  John  S.  Stump,  James  K.  Wilson,  Silas  Cowger,  Jo- 
seph Sutton,  Thomas  Wilson,  Thomas  Mablen,  John  McNary,  James  J. 
Reiley,  John  Parker,  Samuel  Gray,  Solomon  Gray,  Lewis  Elston,  Mel- 
chi  Gray,   Harvey  Sellers,  Abel  Line  and  William  Wilson. 

The  third  election  in  the  township  was  held  at  the  house  of  John 
Cowger,  on  the  first  Monday  in  April,  1838.  On  the  tally  sheets  of 
this  election,  the  following  new  names  appear  :  Lycurgus  Cooper,  John 
Kepperling,  Leo  Pheagley,  Jacob  B.  Bell,  Oliver  Hammond,  David 
Pheagley,  William  Imes,  M.  A.  Berkey,  Jacob  Myer,  Adamson  Bentley, 
Philip  Sain,  M.  Bristol,  John  Cowger,  Sr.,  S.  A.  Baldwin,  Thomas  Dow- 
ney, James  J.  Brown,  Benjamin  Ball,  Joseph  Woosby,  Nelson  Jack, 
Dennis  Line,  John  Cowger,  and  Daniel  Murray.  At  this  election,  Amos 
Cooper  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace.  It  thus  appears  that  there  must 
have  been  a  large  number  of  persons  settled  in  the  township  between  the 
years  1836  and  1838.  Of  the  number  of  those  who  voted  in  1838,  but 
did  not  vote  at  either  of  the  previous  elections,  a  few  may  have  resided  in 
the  township  when  those  elections  were  held,  but  did  not  vote;  while 
others  may  have  been  living  in  the  township,  but  had  not  attained  their 
majority  in  time  to  vote  prior  to  1838;  but  a  large  majority  of  them,  no 
doubt,  moved  into  the  township  after  the  election  in  1836. 

Settlement. — The  first  settlement  in  the  township  was  made  in  the 
eastern  part,  near  the  confluence  of  Big  and  Little  Monon  Creeks. 
According  to  common  report,  the  first  settler  in  the  township  was  Corne- 
lius Sutton.  He  was  a  fur  trader  and  trapper.  As  he  did  not  continue 
to  reside  in  the  township  very  many  years,  and  as  he  left  behind  him 
none  of  his  progeny,  nor  none  who  had  come  with  or  preceded  him, 
the  exact  date  of  his  settlement  in  the  township  cannot  be  ascertained. 
All  that  can  be  learned  concerning  that  fact  is,  that  he  came  prior  to 
1835,  at  which  time  Elihu  Line  and  Isaac  W.  Blake  came  into  the  town- 
ship, the  former  in  the  month  of  April,  and  the  latter  in  the  month  of 
August.  He  erected  a  small  log  cabin  about  half  a  mile  south  of  the  old 
town  site  of  West  Bedford,  and  there  resided  until  he  moved  out  of  the 
township.  The  following  persons  came  into  the  township  during  the 
year  1836  :  John  Cowger,  Amos  Cooper,  Silas  Cowger,  Thomas  Mack- 
len,  John  McNary,  Joseph  J.  Reiley,  John  Parker,  Harvey  Sellers, 
Lycurgus  Cooper  and  John  Kepperling. 

Early  Comers. — Following  is  a  full  list  of  the  polls  in  the  township  in 


MONON  TOWNSHIP.  165 

1841,  as  shown  by  the  tax  duplicate  for  that  year,  in  the  Auditor's  oiEce : 
Benjamin  Ball,  Daniel  Berkey,  Ira  Bacon,  Daniel  Bacon,  M.  A.  Berkey, 
William  Button,  Amos  Cooper,  Silas  Cowger,  John  Cowger,  William 
Conklin,  Thomas  Downey,  Isaac  Dawson,  William  Edwards,  James 
Graves,  John  Harmison,  David  Hawk,  Martin  Judah,  Thomas  King, 
Dennis  Line,  Charles  S.  Lowe,  Jacob  Meyer,  William  H.  Metcalf,  Jacob 
Miles,  Isaac  Miles,  Thomas  Murphy,  Joseph  Noell,  Ayers  Peterson,  Lemuel 
Peterson,  Thomas  Redding,  Harvey  Sellers,  Jacob  G.  Thomas  and  William 
Wilson.  This  should  be,  and  probably  is,  a  complete  list  of  all  persons 
(males)  residing  in  the  township  at  that  time  over  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
The  tax  duplicate  more  reliably  shows  who  were  residents  of  a  township  or 
a  county  at  a  given  time  than  the  poll-books  of  the  elections  held  in  that 
year;  for,  a  man  may  reside  in  a  township,  and  not  vote;  but,  if  the 
Assessor  performs  his  duty  well,  every  male  inhabitant  over  twenty-one 
years  of  age  must  pay  a  poll-tax,  and  his  name  will  appear  on  the  tax 
duplicate,  whether  he  has  any  property  on  which  to  pay  taxes  or  not. 
No  tax  duplicate  for  the  years  prior  to  1841  could  be  found  at  the 
Auditor's  oflBce,  hence  recourse  was  had  to  the  election  returns  for  the 
earlier  years.  Jesse  L.  Watson,  now  of  Monon,  although  his  residence  in 
the  township  dates  back  no  further  than  1856,  became  a  resident  of  the 
county  in  1830,  at  a  time  when  there  were  but  five  families  in  the  county, 
to  wit :  Jotham  Goddard,  Ashby  Goddard,  William  Phillips,  Royal 
Hazelton  and  Joseph  Thompson.  He  says  that  the  portion  of  the  county 
comprising  Monon,  and  the  other  townships  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county,  was  not  surveyed  until  1832.  He  came  to  the  county  and  pur- 
chased land  in  December,  1829,  but  did  not  bring  his  family  until  the 
following  spring. 

Indian  Scare. — It  was  rumored  at  one  time  that  the  Indian  chief 
Black  Hawk,  whose  very  name  struck  dread  terror  to  the  hearts  of  the 
frontiersmen,  and  caused  mothers  to  clasp  their  little  ones  more  closely 
to  their  breasts,  was  advancing  upon  the  settlement  in  which  Mr.  Watson 
lived,  with  a  large  band  of  his  most  ferocious  warriors.  Almost  the  entire 
settlement  abandoned  their  homes,  and  repaired  to  places  of  greater 
security.  Mr.  Watson,  however,  after  deliberately  pondering  the  subject, 
decided  that,  as  he  could  not  leave  his  home  without  great  sacrifice,  and 
as  he  did  not  think  it  practicable  for  Black  Hawk  to  reach  the  settlement,, 
for  the  reason  that  he  was  a  long  way  off  and  his  movements  were  being 
closely  watched  by  a  strong  force  of  United  States  soldiers,  he  would 
keep  the  matter  a  secret  from  his  family,  and  take  the  chances.  As 
"the  thief  doth  fear  each  bush  an  ofiicer,"  so  the  man  who  is  appre- 
hensive of  an  attack  from  those  demoniac  savages,  who  are  strangers  to 
mercy,  is  startled  at  the  crackling  of  a  twig,  or  the  rustling  of  a  dried 


166  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

leaf,  and  is  thrown  into  paroxysms  of  terror  by  the  hooting  of  an  owl,  or 
the  howling  of  a  wolf  Although  it  cannot  truly  be  said  that  Mr.  Wat- 
son was  really  apprehensive  of  an  attack,  yet  the  bare  possibility  of  such 
an  occurrence  must  have  been  sufficient  to  make  him  exceedingly  uneasy 
until  the  crisis  was  passed.  When  the  scare  was  over,  and  the  neighbor- 
ing settlers  had  all  returned  to  their  homes,  then,  and  not  until  then,  did  he 
inform  his  wife  of  the  massacre  which  was  apprehended,  but  did  not  take 
place ;  and  he  says  he  believes  that  she  never  fully  forgave  him  for  keep- 
ing it  a  secret  from  her. 

A  Dead  Town. — One  of  the  early  events  in  the  history  of  this  town- 
ship was  the  laying  out  of  the  town  of  West  Bedford,  which  occurred  in 
the  month  of  April,  1837.  David  Berkey  was  the  proprietor,  and  the 
survey  was  made  by  Asa  Allen,  then  County  Surveyor.  The  town  was 
situated  at  or  a  little  north  of  the  confluence  of  Little  and  Big  Monon 
Creeks.  For  a  time  this  town  flourished  and  grew  like  a  green  bay  tree ; 
but  when  the  railroad  was  built,  and  the  town  of  New  Bradford  was  laid 
out,  it  began  to  decline.  Some  of  the  newer  and  better  houses  were  torn 
down  and  removed  to  New  Bradford,  whilst  the  older  and  more  dilapi- 
dated ones,  which  were  not  worth  the  trouble  and  expense  of  moving  so 
far,  were  purchased  by  the  farmers  in  the  neighborhood,  who  made  vari- 
ous uses  of  them.  At  the  present  time  there  is  but  one  house  remaining 
(a  dwelling  built  by  Dr.  Thornton)  of  those  that  once  constituted  the  town 
of  West  Bedford.  True,  there  are  a  church  and  a  schoolhouse  there, 
but  they  were  built  long  since  the  town  ceased  to  have  an  actual  exist- 
ence. The  town  was  beautifully  and  romantically  situated,  and,  but  for 
the  fact  of  a  rival  town  springing  up,  having  superior  advantages,  it  would 
doubtless  have  become  a  town  of  considerable  magnitude.  When  a  mans 
days  of  prosperity  are  ended,  and  the  chill  winds  of  adversity  begin  to 
blow  about  him,  his  former  friends  cease  to  take  any  further  interest  in 
his  welfare,  or  to  think  much  about  him.  The  same  is  true,  though  in  a 
less  degree,  of  a  town.  Hence,  the  business  that  was  carried  on  in 
this  once  thriving  little  town,  and  the  events  of  which  it  was  the  scene, 
have  been  so  far  forgotten  by  those  who  knew  it  in  the  days  of  its  growth 
and  prosperity,  that  there  are  none  who  can  give  a  thoroughgoing  account 
of  its  business  establishments  in  their  chronological  order.  One  of  the  first 
(probably  the  first)  buildings  erected  in  the  town  was  built  and  occupied 
by  Martin  Judah,  as  a  hotel,  grocery  and  dry  goods  store  and  saloon  com- 
bined. "Jack"  Heaton,  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  opened  a  dry  goods 
and  grocery  store  at  a  very  early  date,  and  his  was  probably  the  second 
store  in  town.  From  first  to  last,  the  following  business,  and  probably 
others  of  which  no  intelligence  could  be  obtained,  was  carried  on  in  the 
place :  Dr.  Paley  kept   hotel   and  practiced   medicine ;  an    Englishman 


MONON   TOWNSHIP.  169 

named  Reece,  kept  saloon  and  groceries ;  John  Smith,  saloon  and  a  few 
groceries  ;  Nicholas  Judah.  blacksmith  ;  a  man  named  Cook,  tailor  shop  ; 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Kelley  kept  a  store  known  among  the  citizens  as 
the  railroad  store.  Kelley  was  there  but  a  short  time.  His  store  was 
called  the  railroad  store  for  the  reason  that  he  kept  in  stock  such  goods 
as  were  needed  by  workmen  on  the  railroad,  the  L.,  N.  A.  &  C.  Railroad 
being  at  that  time  in  process  of  construction.  No  license  for  the  sale  of 
intoxicating  liquors  being  at  that  time  required,  it  is  said  that  all  the  mer- 
chants in  the  town,  as  well  as  those  who  kept  regular  saloons,  kept  whisky 
for  sale,  and  it  is  said  to  have  constituted  a  large  part  of  their  stock  in 
trade.  In  fact.  West  Bedford  is  said  to  have  borne  a  very  unenviable 
reputation  as  regards  temperance. 

Indian  Mounds. — There  are  in  the  vicinity  of  the  original  site  of  the 
town  a  number  of  Indian  mounds,  which,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  large 
trees  now  growing  on  their  sides  and  tops,  must  have  been  built  many 
years  before  the  occupancy  of  the  country  by  the  whites.  For  what  pur- 
pose we  can  but  conjecture.  Some  of  them  have  been  dug  into,  and  skel- 
etons and  Indian  relics,  such  as  stone  hatchets  or  tomahawks,  and  arrow- 
heads, made  of  flint  (a  species  of  stone  which  cannot  be  found  within 
many  miles  of  this  place),  were  found  in  them.  It  is  not  probable  that 
these  were  regular  places  for  the  interment  of  the  dead,  for  the  large 
amount  of  earth  heaped  upon  the  skeleton  remains  precludes  that  idea. 
The  more  rational  theory  would  seem  to  be,  that  there  had  been  a  battle 
fought  at  that  place  between  two  hostile  tribes,  and  that  the  slain  on  one 
or  both  sides  had  been  buried  in  those  mounds,  and  that  they  had  all  been 
buried  at  one  time.  And  whence  came  the  flint,  out  of  which  they  man- 
ufactured their  arrow-heads  ?  Did  each  individual  go  in  person  to  the 
place  where  it  is  to  be  found  and  get  sufficient  for  his  own  individual  use  ? 
or  were  there  among  them  importers  of  goods,  as  there  are  among  us  to- 
day ?  When  we  begin  to  speculate  upon  these  questions  we  are  soon  lost 
in  a  labyrinth  of  surmises. 

Pioneer  Life. — The  early  settlers  of  this  township,  like  the  pioneers 
of  all  new  countries,  were  subject  to  many  dangers,  privations  and  hard- 
ships. They  were,  as  a  rule,  men  of  limited  means,  who  were  induced 
bv  the  low  price  of  lands  to  seek  a  home  in  these  inhospitable  western  wilds. 
Many  of  them  after  paying  for  their  lands  had  not  a  dollar  left,  with  which  to 
provide  themselves  and  families  with  the  necessaries  of  life.  If  favored 
with  health,  however,  money  was  not  absolutely  indispensable  :  for,  what 
with  their  frugal  habits,  their  strong  arms  and  plenty  of  pluck,  they 
could,  by  the  tillage  of  the  soil  with  their  steady  and  trusty  ox  teams, 
supplemented  by  the  unerring  rifle,  procure  a  livelihood  without  it.  But, 
when  the  main-stay  of  the   family  was  laid   low  by  sickness,  then  it  was 


170  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

that  the  heavy  hand  of  fate  lay  upon  them  with  crushing  weight,  almost 
extinguishing  the  last  lingering  spark  of  hope.  This  has  been  the  ex- 
perience of  many.  The  unfortunate  ones  who  became  thus  situated  were 
in  a  truly  deplorable  condition,  for  their  neighbors,  though  they  were 
generally  obliging  and  charitably  disposed,  generally  resided  a  long  way 
oif,  and,  besides,  were  themselves  too  poor  to  render  much  assistance  to 
others.  Though  none  actually  died  of  privation,  yet  there  were  many, 
,no  doubt,  whose  poverty  precluded  them  from  obtaining  the  dainties  that 
the  sick  should  have  to  strengthen  and  bolster  up  their  feeble  frames. 
The  early  settlers  were  put  to  great  inconvenience  to  get  their  breadstuff, 
on  account  of  there  being  no  mills  within  easy  distance.  The  very  early 
settlers  had  to  go  to  La  Fayette  to  mill ;  and  as  there  were  but  few  who  had 
horses,  it  generally  took  four  or  five  days,  and  if  business  was  very 
thriving  at  the  mill,  a  week  to  make  the  trip.  In  the  moving  of  loads 
the  ox  was  the  universal  motor.  "  Gee  Buck  "  and  "  Haw  Berry  "  were 
sounds  very  familiar  to  the  ear  in  those  days  of  yore.  Yea,  it  was  a 
sight  not  uncommon  to  see  the  young  man  of  the  period,  with  his  fair 
Saccharissa  by  his  side,  seated  behind  the  fleet-footed  ox,  pursuing  their 
way  to  church,  and  looking  the  very  soul  of  bliss.  Though  these  people 
were  poor  in  purse,  and  unsophisticated,  they  enjoyed  life  equally  with 
those  of  more  modern  times,  whose  possessions  are  greater  ;  for,  though 
they  had  but  little  of  the  luxuries  of  life,  they  were  content  so  long  as 
they  had  the  necessaries  ;  and  after  all,  to  be  content  with  life's  lot  is  the 
great  source  and  secret  of  human  happiness.  The  humble  husbandman  whose 
possessions  are  limited  to  the  means  of  procuring  the  necessaries  of  life, 
if  content  with  his  lot,  enjoys  more  true  happiness  than  the  mighty  magnate 
who  counts  his  wealth  by  millions,  and  is  harassed  by  all  the  cares  which 
colossal  fortunes  entail  upon  their  possessors. 

First  Birth. — The  first  child  born  in  the  township  was  John  Wilson, 
son  of  James  K.  and  Nancy  Wilson,  nee  Clayton,  who  was  born  June  1, 
1834.  During  the  year  1835,  the  following  children  were  born  in  the 
township  in  the  order  in  which  their  names  are  here  mentioned,  as  nearly 
as  could  be  ascertained  :  Lavinia  Lowther,  Margaret  Bacon,  Dennis  Blake, 
Elizabeth  Wilson  (now  wife  of  Joseph  Sain),  Clarrissa  Berkey  (now  a 
widow  of  Josephus  Lowe). 

The  -first  death  in  the  township  was  probably  that  of  Mrs.  Thomas 
Wilson,  who  died  in  the  fall  of  1834. 

First  Weddings. — James  Harrison  and  Elizabeth  Ivers  were  the  first 
couple  married  in  the  township.  They  were  married  about  the  year  1838. 
Probably  the  next  were  Amos  Cooper  and  Mary  Edwards,  about  1839  ; 
Benjamin  Ball  and  Martha  Kenton  were  married  about  the  same  time, 
or  v€ry  soon  afterward.     Martha  Kenton  was  a  grand-daughter  of  Sim  on 


MONON  TOWNSHIP.  171 

Kenton,  the  celebrated  Indian  fighter,  whose  name  is  familiar  to  every 
school-boy  in  the  land.  Three  daughters  of  Simon  Kenton  were  among 
the  early  settlers  of  this  township.  They  were  the  wives  of  Daniel  Mur- 
ray, Jacob  Meyer  and  James  J.  Brown.  They  all  died  in  the  township. 
Mrs.  Murray  and  Mrs.  Meyer  were  interred  in  the  cemetery  at  Monon 
Methodist  Episcopal  Chapel,  about  three  miles  northeast  of  the  town  of 
Monon.  Jacob  Meyer  died  at  an  early  date,  and  his  widow  married 
Matthias  M.  Thornton.  Mrs.  Meyer  had  no  children.  Mrs.  Murray  had 
a  large  family,  and  five  of  her  sons  served  through  the  late  civil  war  ; 
and  it  is  said  that  their  military  record  was  such  as  to  shed  additional 
luster,  rather  than  bring  reproach  upon  the  name  of  their  distinguished 
progenitor,  whose  civic,  as  well  as  military  career,  was  so  exemplary  as 
to  be  in  the  highest  degree  worthy  of  emulation.  Lewis  Murray  rose  to 
the  rank  of  Lieutenant  in  the  regular  army,  and  died  in  the  service  at 
Indianapolis. 

Early  Mills,  etc. — In  1835,  Elias  Lowther  commenced  building  a 
grist  mill,  on  the  Little  Monon  Creek,  near  its  mouth  and  finished  it 
during  the  following  year.  The  buhrs  were  made,  it  is  affirmed  by 
some,  by  Dr.  Samuel  Korn,  at  the  Battle  Ground,  and  conveyed  by  oxen 
to  the  place  where  the  mill  was  built,  whilst  others  affirm  that  they  were 
made  by  Elias  Lowther.  The  latter  opinion  prevails  much  more  exten- 
sively than  the  former;  yet,  as  these  who  affirm  it  speak  only  from  hear- 
say, whilst  those  who  affirm  the  former  are  older  persons  and  speak  from 
their  own  personal  knowledge,  and  are  persons  of  veracity,  there  can 
scarcely  be  a  doubt  of  its  truthfulness.  Dr.  Korn  at  that  time  lived  at 
the  Battle  Ground,  but  afterward  settled  in  this  township  about  three 
miles  east  of  West  Bedford,  where  he  lived  and  practiced  medicine  very 
successfully  for  ten  or  fifteen  years,  and  there  died.  His  remains  lie 
burjed  at  Monon  Chapel.  Men  who  have  seen  those  buhrs  running,  say 
they  were  as  true  and  as  nicely  balanced  as  any  that  they  ever  saw.  When 
the  mill  went  down,  which  it  did  about  the  year  1810,  those  buhrs  were  pur- 
chased by  Charles  S.  Lowe  and  put  into  a  mill  which  be  built  about  that 
time  on  the  Little  Monon  Creek,  about  four  miles  east  of  Monon.  In  a  few 
years,  Mr.  Lowe  quit  grinding  grain  and  traded  those  buhrs  for  a  horse. 
They  were  removed  to  Jasper  County,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  they  are 
still  in  use.  The  mill  built  by  Charles  S.  Lowe,  above  alluded  to,  is  still 
running  as  a  saw  mill  and  is  owned  by  Larkin  and  Gustavus  Lowe.  The 
third  mill  in  the  township  was  built  by  Amos  Cooper  about  the  year 
1846,  on  the  Big  Monon  Creek,  about  three  miles  above  West  Bedford. 
It  cost  almost  $6,000,  and  was  considered  a  very  good  mill  at  that  time. 
This  mill  is  still  running,  and  is  owned  at  present  by  Saylers  k  De 
Haven.     It  still  goes  by  the  name  of  Cooper's  mill.  A  little  later,  James 


172  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

K.  Wilson  built  a  saw  mill  on  the  Little  Monon  Creek,  near  where  the 
Louisville,  New  Albany  &  Chicago  Railroad  crosses  the  creek.  It  did 
not  run  very  many  years.  These  are  all  the  mills  that  have  ever  been 
built  in  the  township.  Although  they  were  generally  rather  insignificant 
affairs,  or,  at  least,  would  be  so  considered  at  the  present  day,  yet  they 
subserved  the  purpose  well  of  grinding  the  breadstuff  for  the  early  set- 
tler and  sawing  the  lumber  of  which  to  construct  his  building. 

The  year  1844  is  memorable  as  the  year  of  the  great  flood.  The 
whole  country  was  inundated  and  the  farmers  failed  to  raise  sufficient 
grain  for  their  bread-stuff.  Many  of  them  got  flour  from  mills  at  Pitts- 
burgh, on  the  Wabash  River,  and  paid  it  back  next  season.  The  mill  at 
Pittsburgh  was  owned  by  a  man  named  Colton,  and  he  said  that  all  those 
who  got  flour  upon  those  conditions  paid  promptly  when  the  next  harvest 
came,  except  one. 

Post   Offices. — The  first   post  office  in  the  township  was   established 
about  1838,  at  the  house  of  David  Berkey,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by 
Samuel    Lowe,  and  David  Berkey    was    the    first    and    only  Postmaster 
whilst  the  office  was  continued  at  that   place.     About  the  year    1848, 
the    office  was   removed  to    the  house  of  James  K.  Wilson,  just  east  of 
where  the  town  of  Monon  is  now  situated.     James  K.  Wilson  was  suc- 
ceeded as  Postmaster  by  Lewis  Chamberlain,  about  1854.     The  name  of 
the  first  office  was  Monon,  and  remained  unchanged  when  removed  to  the 
aouse  of  James  K.  Wilson.     It  was  subsequently  removed  to  New  Brad- 
ford— the  name  still  remaining  unchanged.     It  still  retains    the  name  of 
Monon  Post  Office,  and  the  name  of  the  present  Postmaster  is  J.  M.  Kel- 
og.    Cathcart  Post  Office,  in  the  west  part  of  the  township,  was  established 
about    1846.     It  was  situated  on  the  farm  on  which  Thomas  Jacks  now 
Mves,  and  the  first   Postmaster  was  Robert    B.   Overton.      Overton  was 
succeeded   by    F.   B.   Rishling,  and    he    by  Fleming  Phillips,  who  was 
Postmaster  at  the  time  when  the  office  was  discontinued,  which  occurred 
about  1863.     Lee  Post  Office,  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  township, 
was  established  about  the  year  1880.     The    first  Postmaster  was  Calvin 
Anderson.     He  was  succeeded,  late   in    1882,  by  Mr.  Hoover,  the  pres- 
ent incumbent.    Onoko  Post  Office  was  established  in  the  spring  of  1882. 
It  is  situated  about  four  miles  northeast  of  the  town  of  Monon.  The  first 
Postmaster  was  Colfax   Grant.     Flowerville  Post  Office  was  established 
about  1867,  with  A.  A.   Cole  Postmaster.     This  post  office  was  situated 
in  the  east  part  of  the   township,  on  a  tract  of  land  now  owned  by  Will- 
iam Lowe  and  the  heirs  of  John  Berkey.    It  was  moved  out  of  the  town- 
ship  and  into  Liberty  Township  in  about  two  years  after    its   establish- 
ment.      These,  it    is    believed,  are    all  the  post  offices  that  were  ever 
established   in   the  township,  with  the  dates  of  their    establishment  and 
names  of  early  Postmasters,  as  nearly  as  could  be  ascertained. 


MONON  TOWNSHIP.  173 

Bradford. — The  town  of  New  Bradford  was  surveyed  and  platted 
in  March,  1853.  James  Brooks  was  the  proprietor  of  the  town,  which 
was  located  upon  and  comprehended  all  the  land  included  in  the  north- 
west quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter,  the  southwest  quarter  of  the 
northeast  quarter,  and  twenty-five  acres  off  the  west  side  of  the  south- 
east (juarter  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  21,  of  Township  28 
north,  of  Range  4  west.  There  were  subsequently  two  additions  made 
to  the  town,  the  first  of  which  was  made  by  James  K.  Wilson  in 
August,  1854,  It  lay  adjoining  and  immediately  north  of  the  original 
plat.  The  second  was  made  by  Benjamin  Ball  in  September,  1854, 
and  is  laid  off  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter  of 
Section  21.  The  first  house  in  the  town  of  New  Bradford  was  Duilt 
by  Joseph  Chamberlain  in  the  spring,  of  1853,  and  occupied  by  him  as 
a  store  and  dwelling.  It  stood  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Fifth  and 
Market  streets. 

The  second  house  was  built  the  same  spring  by  Lewis  Chamberlain. 
It  was  a  dwelling,  and  stood  on  the  second  lot  north  of  the  liouse  built 
by  Joseph  Chamberlain.  The  third  house  was  built  by  William  II.  Wat- 
son in  the  fall  of  1853,  and  occupied  by  him  as  a  dwelling  and  store.  It 
stood  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Fourth  and  Market  streets.  In  1879, 
the  town  of  New  Bradford  was  incorporated,  under  the  name  of  Monon. 
The  present  business  of  the  town  with  the  dates  when  commenced  is  as 
follows:  Cornelius  M.  Homer,  general  store,  1865;  Leopold  Ileidelberger 
&  Co.,  dry  goods  and  groceries,  December,  1881 ;  Turpie  Bros.,  dry  goods 
and  groceries,  October  1882  ;  J.  K.  Grady,  restaurant  and  grocery,  June, 
1878  ;  Joseph  Pogue  &  Son,  restaurant,  January,  1882  ;  J.  II.  Sain,  hotel 
and  grocery,  January,  1880;  William  Lowe,  hotel,  December,  1882  ;  Stru- 
del  k  Strouse,  drugs,  September,  1882  ;  John  N.  Fagg,  drugs,  March, 
1882 ;  J.  T.  Reed,  drugs,  May,  1882;  Jesse  L.  Watson,  lumberyard,  Sep- 
tember, 1880  ;  E.  B.  Egbert,  hardware  and  tin  shop,  December,  1882  ; 
Mesdames  Judson  &  Marshall,  dry  goods,  notion  and  millinery  store, 
April,  188L;  Mrs.  James  Gwinn,  notions  and  millinery  goods.  May,  1882; 
Theodore  Hilderbrand,  blacksmiths,  December,  1880  ;  Denton  &  Martin,  • 
blacksmiths,  1876  ;  A.  P.  Allen  and  A.  Wilcox,  wagon  and  carriage  shops, 
December,  1880 ;  J.  Goble,  boot  and  shoe  shop ;  David  Beaucharap,  boot 
and  shoe  shop ;  harness  shop,  Beaucharap  &  Son  ;  meat  markets,  Robert 
Gray,  and  William  Lowe;  Benjamin  Reynolds,  hotel,  summer  of  1882; 
physicians,  George  R.  Clayton,  John  T.  Reed,  L.  Ramsey,  J.  W.  Fagg, 
D.  W.  Strouse,  J.  H.  Holloway ;  attorney,  A.  K.  Sills ;  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  J.  M.  Winkley :  Town  Trustees,  Henry  C.  Blakely,  John  T. 
Reed  and  William  Shackleford  ;  Marshal,  George  W.  Inaes.  Monon  is 
a  lively  and   flourishing  little  town  of  about   four  hundred   inhabitants, 


174  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

situated  near  the  center  of  the  township,  on  the  Little  Monon  Creek,  at 
the  junction  of  the  Louisville,  New  Albany  &  Chicago,  and  the  Chica- 
go &  Indianapolis  Air  Line  Railroads,  about  half  way  between  Chicago 
and  Indianapolis. 

The  railroad  company  has  a  very  neat  and  commodious  depot,  aud 
over  three  miles  of  side  track  at  Monon.  In  the  winter  of  1879  and 
spring  of  1880,  William  Scott  &  Co.  built  an  elevator  on  the  track  of  the 
L.,  N.  A.  &  C.  R.  R.,  in  the  east  part  of  the  town,  provided  with  excel- 
lent facilities  for  cleaning  and  elevating  grain  and  shelling  corn,  all  of 
which  work  is  performed  by  steam.  They  are  the  only  parties  in  the 
town  engaged  in  the  grain  trade,  and  they  were  doing  a  very  extensive 
business.  When  the,  market  is  most  active,  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  they 
sometimes  buy  as  much  as  $1,000  worth  of  wheat  in  a  single  day,  and 
they  probably  buy  at  the  average  rate  of  $100  worth  per  day  the  year  round. 
They  have  Fairbanks  platform  scales  on  which  to  weigh  grain  by  the 
wagon-load,  as  they  buy  it  of  the  farmers,  and  track  scales,  for  weighing 
it  by  the  car-load,  as  it  is  bought  or  shipped  in  such  quantities.  Wheat 
generally  brings  a  better  price  in  Monon  than  in  any  of  the  neighboring 
towns.  The  proprietors  of  these  elevators  buy  grain  at  other  points,  ship 
it  here,  unload  "it  for  the  purpose  of  grading  it,  reload  it,  and  ship  it  to 
the  Eastern  markets.  The  grain  that  they  buy  of  the  farmers  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  the  town  constitutes  but  a  very  small  portion  of  the  grain  that 
they  handle  at  the  elevators.  'They  have  machinery  with  which  they  can 
shell  ten  car-loads  of  corn  per  day,  and  can  unload  and  load  from  six  to 
eight  cars  daily.  The  elevator  has  a  storage  capacity  of  ten  thousand 
bushels,  and  capacity  for  cleaning  two  thousand  bushels  per  day.  They 
handle  about  three  hundred  car  loads  of  grain  per  annum.  The  present 
elevator  building  superseded  one  that  Jesse  L.  Watson  built  on  the  same 
grounds  several  years  before,  and  which  had  been  owned  first  by  him, 
then  by  W.  G.  Porter,  Robert  Brown.  Marshall  &  Blakely  and  William 
Scott  &  Co.,  the  owners  of  the  present  building. 

Schools  and  Teachers. — The  first  schoolhouse  in  the  township  was  built 
about  the  year  1840,  near  the  town  of  West  Bedford.  The  first  teacher 
was  probably  Salome  Bentley,  and  the  second  Michael  Berkey.  Among 
other  early  teachers  were  David  Hall,  Peter  Scott,  Power  Moore,  Mary 
Lindsay,  a  man  named  Burns,  and  a  man  named  Russell.  The  second 
schoohouse  in  the  township  was  built  about  the  year  1852,  at  Cooper's 
Mill.  At  the  present  time,  there  are  twelve  schoolhouses  in  the  township, 
all  of  which  are  frame,  and  in  fair  condition.  The  average  wages  paid 
teachers  is  about  $2. 

Monon,  with  Honey  Creek  and  Princeton  Townships,  constitutes  the 
Second  Commissioners'  District. 


MONON   TOWNSHIP.  175 

Suicidfis,  etc. — About  1856,  a  man  came  to  the  house  of  John  More- 
craft  in  the  night,  and  asked  the  privilege  of  staying  all  night,  which 
was  granted.  Next  morning  he  started  away,  and  that  was  the  last  seen 
of  him  alive.  He  committed  suicide  by  shooting  himself  with  a  pistol, 
and  was  found  a  short  distance  from  Mr.  Morecraft's  house  dead.  No- 
vember 24,  1870,  Charles  M.  Dewees  committed  suicide  by  shooting  him- 
self with  a  revolver.  The  act  was  committed  in  J.  M.  Kellogg's  store,  in 
the  town  of  New  Bradford,  now  called  Monon.  He  lived  about  twenty- 
four  hours.  No  cause  is  known  for  the  commission  of  the  act.  He  was 
a  young  man  of  good  habits,  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  the  community. 
In  the  spring  of  1876,  Linton  Brown  shot  himself,  and  died  in  about 
twenty-four  hours  afterward.  He  shot  himself  with  suicidal  intent,  and 
with  the  same  revolver  that  young  Dewees  shot  himself  with.  Like 
Dewees,  he  aimed  at  his  heart  and  missed  it ;  as  did  Dewees,  he  lived 
about  twenty-four  hours ;  no  cause  is  known.  About  1876,  Dr.  McMillen, 
of  Bradford,  not  feeling  well,  went  to  his  medicine  case  in  the  dark,  and 
took  a  dose  of  corrosive  sublimate,  instead  of  some  other  drug  which  he 
intended  to  take,  and  lived  about  two  hours.  It  was  supposed  by  some 
that  he  took  the  drug  with  suicidal  intent,  bui  such  was  not  generally 
believed  to  be  the  case. 

Religious  Organizations. — The  Presbyterian  society  at  West  Bed- 
ford was  organized  about  1839.  Rev.  Williamson  was  the  first  pastor. 
The  early  members  were  Thomas  Downey  and  wife,  William  Wilson  and 
wife,  Mrs.  Kepperling  and  others.  The  church  building  was  erected 
about   1871,  at  a  cost  of  about  |1,500. 

The  Baptist  society  at  Monon  was  organized  about  1874,  with  a 
membership  of  about  thirty.  Among  the  early  members  were  the  follow- 
ing :  Theodore  Hilderbrand  and  wife,  John  W.  Miller  and  wife,  John  W. 
Cox  and  wife ;  Lewis  McCrary  was  the  first  pastor.  Following  are  the 
names  of  the  ministers  who  followed  McCrary,  in  the  order  of  their  suc- 
cession, as  nearly  as  could  be  ascertained  :  J.  H.  Dunlap,  D.  J.  Huston, 
D.  S.  French,  R.  B.  Craig,  A.  H.  Dooley  and  Lewis  McCrary.  They 
have  no  pastor  at  the  present  time,  nor  have  not  had  since  March,  1882. 
Their  church  was  built  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1870,  and  dedicated 
in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.      The  building  cost  about  $1,500. 

The  M.  E.  Church  society  was  re-organized  about  1861.  There  had 
been  an  organization  a  good  many  years  prior  to  that  time,  but  somehow 
it  bad  been  permitted  to  lapse  into  nonentity,  and  there  does  not  seem  to 
be  any  one  who  can  now  give  any  further  account  of  the  former  organiza- 
tion, than  merely  to  state  that  there  once  was  one.  John  L.  Royal  was 
pastor  at  the  time  of  the  second  organization,  and  William  H.  Gibson 
and  wife,  John   D.    Moore  and  wife,  Mrs.  Theresa   Duvall,    Mrs.    Susan 


176  '       HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

Hebner,  William  Shackleford  and  wife  were  among  the  early  members, 
of  whom  there  were  about  fifteen  in  all.  William  Shackleford  was  the 
first  class-leader.  Following  is  a  list  of  the  names  of  the  ministers  who 
have  ofiiciated  as  pastors  of  this  churchj  as  well  as  of  the  other  churches 
in  the  same  circuit :  John  L.  Boyd,  Joseph  Budd,  Cole  Brown,  George 
Guild,  Henry  Fraley,  George  Mellender,  William  F.  Jones,  J.  M.  Chaffin, 
Hart,  H.  M.  Middleton,  John  B.  Smith,  Herman  B.  Ball,  Will- 
iam Campbell,  George  Guild,  John  E.  Newhouse,  Robert  H.  Calvert, 
Whitfield  Hall,  and  J.  I.  McCoy,  the  present  incumbent.  William 
Campbell  died  during  his  pastorate,  and  George  Guild  was  appointed  to 
serve  during  the  unexpired  portion  of  the  year.  During  the  summer  of 
1882,  they  built  a  very  neat  church,  of  moderate  size,  costing  about 
$1,500.  The  parsonage,  which  was  purchased  about  1868,  at  a  cost  of 
$600,  is  a  small  one-story  frame  building,  and  is  adjacent  to  the  church. 
Monon  M.  E.  Chapel,  about  three  miles  northeast  of  Monon,  was  built 
about  1871,  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,400.  A  few  of  the  early  members  of 
this  church  were  John  D.  Moore  and  wife,  Luther  Lucas  and  wife, 
William  Brannan  and  wife,  and  John  Brannan  and  wife.  This  society 
was  first  organized  about  the  time  of  the  re-organization  of  the  M.  E. 
Church  at  Monon,  as  before  stated.  This  church  being  in  the  same  cir- 
cuit with  the  church  at  Monon,  was  served  by  the  same  pastors.  What 
is  known  as  the  Monon  Circuit  is  constituted  of  the  following  churches : 
Monon,  Monon  Chapel,  Francesville,  and  Hanging  Grove.  There  are 
divine  services  at  Monon  each  Sabbath,  and  at  the  other  points  in  the 
circuit  every  two  weeks. 

Secret  Society. — Monon  Lodge,  No.  524,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  was  in- 
stituted at  Monon,  on  the  3d  of  February,  1876,  with  the  following  char- 
ter members:  W.  H.  Shackleford,  N.  G.;  Alfred  Ball,  V.  G. ;  P.  L. 
Jennings,  Sec. ;  J.  M.  Jost,  Treas.  ;  and  J.  A.  Pearson.  On  the  same 
night  that  the  lodge  was  instituted,  the  following  persons  were  initiated  : 
Robert  Brown,  S.  M.  Ward,  J.  C.  Ward  and  Samuel  Ball.  At  the 
present  time  the  lodge  has  a  membership  of  sixty.  Officers  at  the  pres- 
ent time:  W.  C.  Byers,  N.  G. ;  W.  B.  Orr,  V.  G. ;  R.  Drake,  Sec. ;  H. 
C.  Blakely,  Treas. ;  C.  M.  Homer,  R.  L.  Smoker  and  Alfred  Ball,  Trust- 
ees; Edi  W.  Cowger,  D.  D.  G.  M.  Regular  meetings  every  Saturday 
night. 

Miscellaneous  Items. — In  1880,  there  were  260  voters  in  the  town- 
ship, and  it  is  estimated  that  there  are  at  present  about  340. 

About  one-half  the  township  is  prairie,  and  the  balance  timbered  or 
upland.  The  soil  is  quite  productive,  and  the  water  pure  and  wholesome. 
There  are,  in  the  township,  fifteen  miles  of  railroad,  which  is  valued,  for 
purposes  of  taxation,  at  $100,000.      The  tax  levied  on  the  railroad  com- 


MONON  TOWNSHIP.  177 

panics,  on  account  of  their  property  situate  in  this  township  for  the  pres- 
ent year,  and  which  will  be  payable  in  1883,  is  |625.  It  will  thus  be 
seen  that  not  only  are  railroads  useful  in  the  way  of  furnishing  a  cheap, 
rapid  and  comfortable  mode  of  traveling,  and,  likewise,  facilities  for  the 
shipment  of  freights,  which  could  not  be  otherwise  moved,  but  they  are 
also  large  contributors  to  the  public  revenues,  whereby  valuable  internal 
improvements  are  made.  But  the  greatest  of  all  the  advantages  result- 
ing from  the  introduction  of  railroads  into  a  country  is  the  enhancement 
of  the  value  of  property,  both  real  and  personal. 

In  1879,  the  value  of  the  lands  in  Monon  Township,  as  shown  by  the 
Assessor's  report,  was  |351,835  ;  value  of  improvements,  |86,725 ; 
value  of  personal  property,  $81,344.  Number  of  domestic  animals — 
horses,  430  ;  mules,  36  ;  cattle,  2,436  ;  sheep,  1,043  ;  hogs,  828.  Agri- 
cultural products — bushels  of  wheat,  10,685  ;  bushels  of  corn,  51,875  ; 
bushels  of  rye,  775  ;  bushels  of  oats,  11,332  ;  bushels  of  potatoes,  2,202  ; 
tons  of  hay,  1,441 ;  acres  of  wheat,  954 ;  acres  of  corn,  2,177  ;  acres 
of  oats,  577. 

E.  G.  Egbert  &  Co.,  a  recent  accession  to  the  town  of  Monon,  from 
the  State  of  Illinois,  contemplate  establishing  a  brick  and  tile  factory  at 
Monon  in  the  spring  of  1883.  The  consummation  of  this  project  is 
pretty  well  assured.  When  this  is  done,  it  will  mark  a  new  era  in  the 
development  of  the  resources  of  this  township,  as  there  is  a  large  extent 
of  territory  in  the  township,  especially  in  the  southwest  portion  of  it,  that 
can  then  be  more  perfectly  drainexi  that  has  heretofore  been  possible, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  there  was  no  means  of  obtaining  tiles  except  by 
shipping  them  from  elsewhere,  at  great  cost.  There  have  already  been  a 
goodly  number  of  open  ditches  dug,  but  these  only  partially  drain  the 
land.  To  bring  it  into  a  perfect  state  of  cultivation,  some  sort  of  sub- 
sidiary ditches,  either  of  tile  or  timbers,  are  indispensable. 

Monon  Township  is  growing  in  population  at  a  very  rapid  rate,  A. 
K.  Sills  and  Turpie  Bros.,  land  agents  at  Monon,  are  selling  a  great  deal 
of  land  to  parties  who  design  settling  in  the  township.  The  influx  of 
population  is  principally  from  Ohio  and  Illinois. 


178  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

BY     M.    F.    MATTHEWS. 

Big  Creek  Township — Creation  and  Early  Officers — The  First 
Court  House — Indian  Scare  During  the  Black  Hawk  War — 
First  Birth,  Marriage  and  Death — Internal  Improvements — 
Teachers  and  Preachers. 

A  SEMI-CENTURY  almost  has  elapsed  since  what  is  now  known  as 
Big  Creek  Township  waa  created  out  of  a  portion  of  the  territory 
composing  White  County.  Backward  eight  and  forty  years,  or  to  the 
19th  of  July,  1834,  and  at  a  special  session  of  the  Commissioners' 
Court  in  that  midsummer  month,  it  was  ordered  that  Congressional  Town- 
ship 20,  in  White  County,  and  all  the  territory  attached  thereto,  be  and 
the  same  is  hereby  to  be  known  and  designated  as  Big  Creek  Township. 
This  township  derived  its  name  from  a  winding  stream  of  the  same  name 
that  finds  its  way  from  northwest  to  southeast  through  the  township,  and 
is  near  the  geographical  center  of  the  same,  in  its  general  direction.  The 
township,  as  it  originally  existed,  contained  ninety-seven  and  a  half 
square  miles,  or  62,200  acres,  and  had  the  following  boundaries  :  North 
by  Union,  Princeton  and  Honey  Creek  Townships ;  east  by  Union  Town- 
ship and  Carroll  County  ;  south,  Prairie  Township ;  and  west  by  Benton 
County.  Big  Creek  Township  remained  thus  constituted  until  its  first 
boundary  line  was  broken  and  its  extensive  area  divided  in  1845,  when 
West  Point  Township  was  created  out  of  a  territory  originally  forming  a 
greater  part.  The  township  under  consideration  is  latterly  bounded  on 
the  north  by  Honey  Creek  and  Union  Townships  ;  east  by  Union  Town- 
ship and  Carroll  County ;  south  by  Prairie  Township  ;  and  west  by  West 
Point  Township. 

It  was  further  ordered  by  the  Board  of  Commissioners,  that  the  house 
of  George  A.  Spencer  be  the  place  of  holding  elections  in  Big  Creek 
Township  for  the  first  year,  and  James  Len  was  appointed  Inspector  of 
said  elections  for  the  same  time.  Benjamin  N.  Spencer  was  appointed 
Supervisor  of  Roads ;  George  A.  Spencer  and  Armstrong  Buchanan, 
Overseers  of  the  Poor,  and  Benjamin  Reynolds  and  Henry  Barcum, 
Fence  Viewers  for  the  first  year. 

The  First  Settlers. — A  man  named  Joseph  H.  Thompson*  was  the 
first  white  settler  in  White  County.     He   came  to  Big  Creek    Township 

*  In  the  chapter  on  general  county  matters  (Chapter  I)  will  be  found  an  account  of  elections,  etc., 
held  in  the  county  before  its  organization.  The  account  was  obtained  from  the  records  at  Delphi,  the 
county  having  been  attached  to  Carroll  before  it  had  a  separate  organization. 


BIG  CREEK  TOAVNSHIP.  179 

early  in  1829,  five   years    before    the   county  was  organized,  built  a  log 
cabin,  and  endeavored  to  make  himself  and  family  comfortable. 

The  year  1829  designates  the  time  when,  from  within  the  limits  of 
Perry  County,  Ohio,  started  two  men,  George  A.  Spencer  and  Benjamin 
Reynolds,  and  after  a  long  and  tiresome  journey  (farther  than  a  Sabbath 
Day's  journey)  and  wandering  they  finally  came  to  an  extended  halt  in 
Big  Creek  Township.  These,  among  the  first  white  men  in  the  town- 
ship, walked  all  the  way  from  the  State  of  buckeye  notoriety — traveling 
in  the  day  time  and  shooting  such  game  as  they  would  want  for  food,  and 
sleeping  at  night  with  an  old-fashioned  carpet  bag  for  a  pillow,  and  a 
single  blanket  for  a  protection  to  them  against  the  chilly  autumnal  nights 
of  1829.  As  previously  stated,  these  men  were  among  the  first  of  the 
Caucasian  race  in  Prairie  Township,  and  they  w^ere  also  among  the  first  to 
begin  a  settlement.  Soon  after  they  arrived,  they  began  cutting  logs  for 
their  cabin.  After  a  site  had  been  selected  for  the  humble  domicile,  and 
the  same  barely  commenced,  Mr.  Spencer  left  its  completion  in  the  hands 
of  Mr.  Reynolds,  while  he  himself  set  out  for  the  home  of  his  nativity, 
with  an  understanding  with  Mr.  Reynolds  that  he  (Reynolds)  should  have 
the  cabin  completed  and  ready  for  occupancy  by  the  time  that  he  (Spen- 
cer) could  remove  the  families  from  their  first  home  to  the  new  one  pre- 
paring for  them  in  the  far  West.  Winter  was  already  hard  at  hand  be- 
fore Mr.  Spencer  left  the  newly-begun  settletnent,  and  it  was  not  until 
near  midwinter  when  he  again  reached  the  Ohio  home,  but  no  sooner 
had  he  arrived  there  than  arrangements  were  begun  to  emigrate  in  the 
early  spring  to  Big  Creek  Township,  or  the  territory  that  now  composes 
that  township.  Arrangements  were  found  to  be  complete  on  the  1st  day 
of  June,  1830,  when  Mr.  Spencer  and  family,  James  Spencer  and  family 
and  the  family  of  Mr.  Reynolds  commenced  this  onward  yet  westward 
march,  and  arrived  in  Big  Creek  Township  on  the  20th  of  the  month  in 
which  they  started,  being  twenty  days  on  the  road.  The  three  two-horse 
wagons,  the  temporary  supplies  in  one  of  them,  the  families  in  another, 
and  tools  and  new  country  agricultural  implements  in  the  third,  are  some 
of  the  remembered  things  in  the  make  up  of  that  1830  emigrant  train 
that  found  its  crooked  way  into  the  new  Hoosier  country,  where  it  dis- 
covered on  that  June  day,  as  the  sun  was  fast  lowering  in  the  West  and 
the  darkness  of  the  night  nearing,  the  completed  log  cabin  that  was  to 
these  new-comers  a  mansion  of  shelter  and  protection  during  the  summer 
of  1830.  This  Spencer-Reynolds  round  log  cabin  was  twelve  feet  square 
and  rudely  constructed,  and  was  located  in  Section  13  on  a  well- 
sized  hill.  In  this  cabin  lived  these  three  families  during  the  sum- 
mer and  fall,  or  until  late  in  November,  when  Mr.  Reynolds  had  erected 
a  cabin  in  Section  13,  as   had  also  the  two  Mr.  Spencers  in  Section  12. 


180  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

The  above  mentioned  families  (fifteen  persons  in  number),  who  had  lived 
harmoniously  together  for  several  months,  had  now  better  and  more  com- 
fortable homes,  and  the  first  hut  in  the  township  was  considered  of  no  im- 
portance and  was  soon  thrown  down.  George  A.  Spencer's  house  was 
the  first  of  the  three  that  was  completed,  and  hence  became  the  first  house 
in  the  township.  The  one  erected  by  Benjamin  Reynolds,  and  also  the 
one  built  by  James  Spencer  were  completed  soon  after  George  A.  Spen- 
cer's was  finished.  The  first  house  is  yet  standing,  mention  of  which 
will  be  made  on  another  page  of  the  history  of  Big  Creek  Township. 

In  1831,  John  Burns  came  into  the  township  and  began  settlement  en 
Section  30.  Mr.  Burns  removed  from  Ohio.  In  this  same  year  (1831), 
came  Samuel  Gray,  John  Roberts,  Stephen  Bunnell,  Nathaniel  Bunnell, 
Sr.,  Barzilla  Bunnell,  Nathaniel  Bunnell,  Jr.  In  1832,  Benjamin  Spen- 
cer moved  into  the  settlement  from  Ohio,  and  in  1833  Thomas  Spencer 
came  into  the  township  from  the  same  State,  and  the  same  year  came 
Thomas  Bunnell,  from  the  same  place  ;  and  William  M.  Kenton  also  be- 
gan settlement  in  the  township  in  this  year,  and  came  also  from  Ohio;  this 
same  year  (1833)  Isaac  Beeze  and  family  came  from  Ohio.  This  family, 
which  consisted  of  Mr,  Beeze  and  wife  and  six  children,  came  all  the 
way  from  Perry  County,  Ohio,  on  horseback.  Mr.  Beeze  had  two  horses 
and  the  larger  members  of  the  family  took  turn  about  riding.  It  was  late 
in  the  fall  when  the  Beeze  family  arrived  at  the  house  of  George  A.  Spen- 
cer, and  here  it  remained  until  Mr.  Spencer  could  erect  a  cabin  on  his  land 
for  it  to  occupy.  On  the  Spencer  farm,  this  family  lived  for  a  number  of 
years  and  Mr.  Beeze  worked  for  Mr.  Spencer.  James  Barnes  came  in 
1835,  and  in  18^6  William  and  Nimrod  Worden  moved  into  the  settle- 
ment. The  whole  number  of  families  in  the  township  in  1840  was  about 
fifteen,  and  numbered  about  sixty  persons. 

Elections. — At  an  election  held  in  Big  Creek  Township,  at  the  house 
of  George  A.  Spencer,  oa  tlie  first  Monlxy  ia  November,  183tJ,  the 
following  men  voted  :  Nathaniel  Bunnell,  Sr.,  Joseph  H.  Thompson, 
Thomas  Donovan,  John  Luse,  Jesse  Grooins,  William  Carr,  Benjamin 
Reynolds,  Thomas  Bunnell,  James  Shafer,  Joseph  Phillips,  George  A. 
Spencer,  Isaac  Davis,  Ellis  H.  Johnson,  John  W.  Bunnell,  Daniel  Lane, 
Nathaniel  Bunnell,  Jr.,  B.  Bunnell  and  Armstrong  Buchanan  ;  George 
A.  Spencer  and  Joseph  Phillips,  Clerks  ;  Nathaniel  Bunnell,  Isaac  Davis 
and  John  Bunnell,  Judges.  At  an  election  held  at  the  same  place  two 
years  later,  the  following  men  deposited  their  ballots :  Thomas  Dawson, 
John  C.  Suffers,  Nathaniel  Bunnell,  Thomas  Bunnell,  Stephen  Bunnell, 
Joseph  Phillips,  John  Brady,  Benjamin  Reynolds,  James  Kerr,  George 
A.  Spencer,  Joseph  H.  Thompson,  Abraham  Boltintrouse,  Simon  Kenton, 
John  Reynolds  and  Jacob  Harvey. 


BIG  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  181 

Land  Entries. — The  following  are  found  among  those  who  first  en- 
tered land  in  Big  Creek  Township  :  George  A.  Spencer,  eighty  acres  in 
Section  12,  January  27,  1830 ;  John  Bostick,  eighty  acres  in  Section 
12,  October  15,  1830  ;  Joseph  H.  Graham,  eighty  acres  in  Section  8, 
November  15,  1830  ;  Daniel  Baum,  eighty  acres  in  Section  8,  November 
3,  1830  ;  John  Stockton, .eighty  acres  in  Section  7,  November  20,  1830  ; 
Jeremiah  Bisher,  eighty  acres  in  Section  9,  November  20,  1830 ;  Mahlon 
Frazer,  eighty  acres  in  Section  i),  November  2,  1830  ;  John  Russ,  forty- 
eight  acres  in  Section  9,  November  2,  1830;  Robert  Newel,  eighty  acres 
in  Section  18,  November  2,  1830;  John  Miller,  eighty  acres  in  Section 
19,  November  2,  1830;  Joseph  H.  Thompson,  eighty  acres  in  Section 
25,  December  19,  1829;  James  Kerr,  eighty  acres  in  Section  24,  No- 
vember 2,  1830  ;  Thomas  Bunnell,  eighty  acres  in  Section  1,  December 
23,  1334;  Benjamin  Reynolds,  40  acres  in  Section  1,  December  23, 
1834  ;  Nathaniel  Bunnell,  eighty  acres  in  Section  2,  December  10, 
1833;  William  L.  Lyman,  eighty  acres  in  Section  5,  October  9,  1834; 
Zebulon  Sheets,  forty-seven  acres  in  Section  6,  November  11,  1834 ; 
Stephen  Bunnell,  forty  acres  in  Section  14,  December  10,  1833;  J.  C. 
Kilgore,  forty  acres  in  Section  24,  May  18, 1835  ;  John  Furgerson,  forty 
acres  in  Section  25,  March  7,  1833. 

Spencer  House — the  second  or  third  in  the  township  (previously  men- 
tioned)— was  a  hewed-logone,  16x20  feet,  erected  in  1830  on  Section  12, 
by  George  A.  Spencer.  This  house  is  still  standing,  and  most  of  the 
logs,  though  placed  in  position  fifty-three  years  ago,  are  as  sound  as  if  it 
were  but  yesterday  that  they  were  taken  from  the  forest.  In  1831,  there 
■were  two  additions  attached  to  the  original  building,  and  a  few  years  later 
this  same  part  was  weather-boarded,  and  this  is  the  reason,  no  doubt,  that  it 
is  in  such  a  good  state  of  preservation.  Mr.  Spencer  set  out  the  first  or- 
chard in  Big  Creek  Township.  The  first  lot  of  trees  was  planted  in  the 
spring  of  1834,  and  two  of  those  trees  are  yet  remaining,  and  either  of 
them  is  thirty  inches  in  diameter.  A  ten  minutes'  ride  on  horseback  from 
the  present  residence  of  Calvin  C.  Spencer  (one  of  the  pioneers  of  the 
township)  will  bring  you  to  the  site  of  the  old  historical  Spencer  House. 
This  structure  of  the  long-ago,  was,  in  early  times,  a  welcome  mansion  to 
many  a  lone  and  weary  Tippecanoe  Indian,  a  home  to  all  new-comers,  and 
a  place  of  rest  and  refreshment  to  all  those  of  whatsoever  color  or  tongue 
that  needed  rest.  Though  this  house  was  the  second  or  third  in  the  township, 
though  it  was  one  of  freedom  and  much  welcome  to  whomsoever  would 
ask  admittance  at  its  threshold,  it  has  a  more  extended  history,  for  here  it 
was  that  the  first  Circuit  Court  in  White  County  was  held.  In  this  cabin 
the  White  County  Circuit  Court  was  held  for  two  years.  The  first  term 
of  court  was  commenced  on  the  13th  day  of  October,  1834.     At  this  bar, 


182  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

a  number  of  the  most  prominent  lawyers  of  those  times  practiced,  and  on 
this  bench  some  of  the  best  jurists  at  that  day  sat.  Among  those  who 
dealt  out  justice  at  this  bar  may  be  mentioned  the  names  of  Rufus  Lock- 
wood,  John  U.  Petitt,  Albert  S.  White,  Samuel  Huff,  Ira  Ingraham, 
James  Lane,  Mr.  Finch  and  a  few  others.  The  lawyers  all  boarded  in  the 
cabin  court  house,  and  Mrs.  Spencer  did  the.  cooking  for  the  "loose- 
tongued"  gentlemen  while  Mr.  S.  cared  for  the  lawyers'  horses  and  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  time  in  keeping  the  "  boys  "  straight.  Mr.  Spencer 
was  a  strict  temperance  man,  and  always  clung  to  the  fittest  things  of 
life,  and  as  a  natural  consequence,  he  would  not  allow  profane  swearing 
in  his  house.  A  large  oak  tree  stood  about  ten  rods  distant  from  the 
house,  and  it  is  said  that  Mr.  S.  would  not  allow  any  swearing  between 
that  tree  and  the  cabin. 

Some  time  had  elapsed  before  the  "  naughty  "  lawyers  could  prevail 
on  Mr.  Spencer  to  promise  to  get  them  something  "  to  take,"  but  finally 
the  old  gentleman  brought  home  a  keg  of  the  best  old  Kentucky  whisky 
that  could  be  found,  and  that  night  the  cabin  of  justice  was  changed  into 
a  house  of  a  "  down -right  good  time,"  and  all  seemed  to  feel  as  if  the  old 
Hoosier  State  had  gone  Democratic  for  the  Democrats,  or  Whig  for  the 
Whigs.  Some  of  the  law  dealers,  ere  the  morning  dawned,  became  "  too 
full  "  for  utterance.  Kicking  one  another  out  of  bed  and  various  other 
tricks  were  indulged  in  by  the  whiskied  legal  lights  that  night.  This  was 
the  first  and  last  strong-drink-picnic  ever  given  at  the  Spencer  House. 
Mrs.  Spencer  (commonly  known  as  Aunt  Sally)  was  an  unusually  good 
cook,  and  what  time  the  lawyers  were  not  engaged  in  the  .court  room,  or 
playing  ball,  they  were  found  bragging  on  Aunt  Sally's  cooking.  The  first 
law  suit  in  the  county  was  held  in  this  cabin,  and  was  the  State  of  Indiana 
vs.  Jeremiah  Bisher.  The  facts  are  as  follows:  The  grand  jury  found 
an  indictment  against  Bisher  for  catching  a  horse  which  belonged  to  John 
Roberts,  that  had  come  on  his  (Bisher's)  premises,  and  tying  a  clapboard 
to  the  animal's  tail  and  setting  it  at  liberty.  The  case  was  decided  in 
favor  of  the  State. 

Indians,  and  Black  Hawk  Wa7\ — The  Tippecanoe  Indians  at  one 
time  roamed  at  will  through  the  forests  of  Big  Creek  Township,  but  in  no 
case  did  they  ever  become  hostile  toward  the  first  settlers  of  the  township. 
During  the  Black  Hawk  rage  in  Illinois  in  1832,  the  settlers  in  the 
township  imagined  that  they  (the  Indians)  were  preparing  to  move 
against  them,  and  a  general  massacre  seemed  imminent ;  the  excitement 
ran  high,  and  in  a  few  hours  every  member  of  the  settlement  was  warned 
of  the  approaching  foe.  No  time  was  lost,  and  soon  all  the  early  settlers 
were  collected,  and  as  one  body  they  made  all  possible  haste  to  John 
Barr's,  on   Spring  Creek,  in  Prairie  Township.     Here  a  rude  fort  was 


BIG  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  183 

hastily  built  of  logs  and  such  things  as  could  be  obtained.  Sentinels 
stood  guard  by  night  and  day.  In  this  fort,  the  twelve  or  thirteen  families 
remained  for  several  days  and  nights,  with  scarcely  anything  to  eat  or 
drink.  The  bloody-eyed  wretches  did  not  come,  and  the  settlers  returned 
to  their  homes,  and  concluded  that  it  was  only  a  scare. 

Ague. — For  quite  a  of  number  of  years,  in  the  first  settling  of  Big 
Creek  Township,  the  ague  seemed  to  be  the  greatest  "  draw-back  "  to  the 
new  country.  Everybody  (two  exceptions)  in  the  township  had  the  ague, 
had  it  regularly  and  severely.  The  scourge  would  commence  generally 
in  July,  and  continue  until  mid-winter,  and  in  some  instances  the  plague 
would  last  all  winter.  The  "shakes"  of  1833  were  so  great  that  the 
chills  of  1883  do  not  compare  with  them  at  all.  The  people  in  those 
days  made  regular  and  extensive  preparations  for  the  disease.  On  the 
days  when  the  chills  were  expected,  a  huge  fii*e  would  be  made  in  the  not 
small  fire-place,  and  the  victim,  or  victims,  wrapped  in  bed-clothing, 
would  array  themselves  before  the  great  log-heap  fire,  and  try  the  unac- 
complishable  task  of  thawing  the  ague.  The  disease  was  in  the  water, 
air,  and  in  fact  it  seemed  present  everywhere.  The  patients  were  doc- 
tored by  giving  them  all  the  known  remedies.  Boneset  was  freely  used. 
After  the  first  ten  years,  the  pest  began  to  loosen  its  grip,  and  finally  it 
was  almost  unknown.  Those  who  escaped  the  ague  were  Calvin  C. 
Spencer  and  an  African  boy  that  had  been  brought  into  the  settlement. 
Robert  Newell,  who  came  into  the  township  in  1831,  was  the  first  Pro- 
bate Judge  of  White  County.  Mr.  Newell  would  attend  court  bare- 
footed. George  A.  Spencer  was  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Big 
Creek  Township,  and  during  his  lifetime  he  served  in  that  capacity 
for  thirty  years. 

Early  Difficulties. — In  the  first  days  of  Big  Creek  Township  the  in- 
habitants were  compelled  to  go  to  Lafayette  or  Delphi  for  a  physician, 
and  to  the  same  places  to  have  their  milling  done,  while  they  would 
have  to  haul  their  grain  and  produce  to  Chicago  and  Michigan  City. 
This  state  of  affairs  existed  until  1840,  when  the  Wabash  and  Erie 
Canal  was  completed  to  Lafayette. 

Firnt  Birth. — Isaac  Reynolds,  who  was  born  in  1831,  is  the  first 
white  child  born  in  the  township. 

First  Marriage. — The  first  contract  of  this  kind  in  the  township  was 
made  by  George  Bartley  and McColloch. 

First  Death. — A  man  by  the  name  of  Donavan  was  the  first  white  per_ 
son  who  died  in  the  township.  The  remains  were  interred  in  what  was 
known  as  the  Kenton  Burying-ground. 

First  Hotd. — George  A.  Spencer  kept  the  first  hotel  in  the  township. 
This  was  the  famous  residence,  court  house  and  hotel  of  Section  12. 


184  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

Internal  Improvements. — The  township  has  one  iron  bridge, 
across  Big  Creek,  just  north  of  the  residence  of  John  Burns.  This 
bridge  was  erected  in  1872,  by  the  King  Bridge  Company,  of  Ohio. 
This  improvement  is  100  feet  long,  and  was  built  at  an  estimated  cost  of 
$2,000.  The  township  has  two  gravel  roads  in  process  of  construction. 
These  roads  are  being  constructed  according  to  the  Gravel  Road  Act  of 
1880.  At  the  completion  of  these  roads,  the  township  will  have  about 
twelve  miles  of  this  kind  of  highway.  A.  R.  Orton  is  General  Super- 
intendent of  the  above-mentioned  roads.  The  New  Albany  &  Chicago 
Railway  was  completed  through  the  township  in  1853.  This  railroad 
extends  through  the  township  from  north  to  south.  Since  its  completion, 
the  value  of  land  in  the  township  has  greatly  increased,  and  it  has  placed 
a  market  within  the  reach  of  every  agricultural  industry  in  the  township. 

Wheeler. — Wheeler  is  a  flag  station  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town- 
ship, on  the  New  Albany  &  Chicago  Railroad.  Charles  D.Finney  started 
the  first  store  at  Wheeler  about  a  year  and  a  half  ago.  The 
stock  consisted  of  dry  goods  and  groceries.  Mr.  Finney  is 
still  carrying  on  the  enterprise.  The  place  has  a  post  office, 
Smithson,  which  was  established  in  1880,  and  Charles  D.  Finney  was  the 
first  Postmaster.  There  is  also  at  this  place  an  extensive  tile  factory, 
which  was  established  in  1879  by  Hiram  Wheeler.  These  interests,  with 
a  blacksmith  shop,  make  up  the  business  enterprises  of  the  station  of 
Wheeler.     Mr.  W.  has,  perhaps,  the  finest  residence  in  the  township. 

Early  Preachers. — The  first  ministers  in  Big  Creek  Township  were 
Rev.  Wood,  Abraham  Sneathen,  Rev.  Reed  and  John  L.  Smith.  These 
men  all  preached  at  the  houses  of  Nathaniel  Bunnell,  John  Rothrock 
and  George  A.  Spencer.  They  (the  ministers)  traveled  on  horseback, 
and  held  services  almost  every  day  in  the  week.  The  first  Sabbath 
school  was  held  in  the  Bunnell  neighborhood. 

Schools. — The  first  school  in  the  township  was  taught  in  1834,  by 
Clinton  Munson,  in  a  cabin  that  stood  on  George  A.  Spencer's  land. 
This  was  a  rude,  round  log  structure,  12x14  feet,  and  had  been  previ- 
ously occupied  by  a  family,  but  Mr.  Spencer  had  seats  put  in  it  and 
prepared  for  school  purposes. 

Of  this  school  building,  Milton  M.  Sill,  of  Monticello,  had  this  to 
say  a  few  years  ago  in  an  essay  on  "  History  and  reminiscences  of  the 
schools  and  teachers  of  White  County,"  read  at  one  of  the  teacher's  in- 
stitutes : 

The  first  schoolhouse  built  within  the  limits  of  White  County  was 
located  on  the  banks  of  Big  Creek,  in  what  was  known  as  the  Robert 
Newell  neighborhood.  It  was  erected  in  1834,  by  the  resident  families, 
consisting  of  George  A.  Spencer,  Benjamin  Reynolds,  John  Burns,  Rob- 


JL^.  <^;^^^<2'<>0'^^^^^><t-t^^^';^^u<^e^<l-^ 


r  Iril  T^KW  YORK 


BIG   CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  187 

ert  Newell,  William  M.  Kenton,  Zebulon  Dyer,  James  Shafer,  John 
Phillips,  and  perhaps  a  few  others.  It  was  a  log  structure,  with  a  log 
left  out  on  the  south  side  to  admit  the  light ;  two  puncheons,  fastened 
together  with  wooden  pins  and  hung  on  wooden  hinges,  formed  the  door, 
which  was  securely  closed  with  a  wooden  latch  in  a  wooden  catch  ;  a 
string  passed  through  .the  door  above  the  latch,  and  served  to  raise  it  from 
the  outside  at  all  times,  unless  the  pupils  caught  the  master  out,  when  it 
would  be  drawn  in,  and  by  barricading  the  window  with  benches  often 
succeeded  in  delaying  the  routine  of  study,  and  certain  to  bring  upon  the 
daring  culprits  the  dire  vengeance  of  the  master,  whose  authority  was 
thus  set  at  naught.  The  first  teacher  who  occupied  this  temple  of  learn- 
ing was  Matthias  Davis,  the  father  of  Mrs.  David  McCuaig,  of  Monti- 
cello,  a  man  of  rare  mental  qualifications  for  that  period,  and  a  genial, 
kind  and  conscientious  teacher,  who  delighted  in  his  work,  and  who  was 
universally  beloved  by  his  pupils.  He  could  be  severe,  however,  and 
would  not  "spare  the  rod"  whenever  his  rules,  which  were  few  and  easily 
obeyed,  were  grossly  violated. 

The  first  frame  schoolhouse  in  the  township  was  built  in  1850,  on 
Section  12,  in  the  territory  that  was  designated  as  District  No.  1. 
Lucius  Peirce  was  the  first  teacher.  There  are  eight  good  schoolhouses 
in  the  township  at  present,  the  last  one  built  in  1882,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$600.  The  teachers  for  the  schools  this  year  are  as  follows  :  District 
No.  1,  E.  Porch  ;  No.  2,  Lydia  Orth ;  No.  3,  J.  P.  Simons ;  No.  4,  R.  L. 
Young;  No.  5,  Anna  McGee;  No.  6,  Dr.  S.  A.  Carson;  No.  7,  C.  E. 
Greenfield ;  No.  8,  Robert  Smith.  The  township  has  seven  months' 
school  each  year,  and  this  year  its  teachers  receive  an  average  per  diem 
of  $2.21.  The  excellent  condition  of  the  schools  in  Big  Creek  Township 
is  largely  due  to  the  unceasing  interest  taken  in  them  by  Vaus  Dobbins, 
the  present  Trustee  of  the  township.  The  rude  log  schoolhouse  of  forty 
years  ago,  with  its  huge  fire-place,  its  seats  of  puncheon  and  desks  of  the 
same,  and  its  one  window  with  its  light  of  greased  paper,  has  been  ex- 
changed in  this  township  for  good,  comfortable, well-furnished  frame  houses. 

The  old  pioneers  of  Big  Creek  Township  have  nearly  all  died  or  moved 
away.  The  only  living  old  settlers  in  the  township  are"Calvin  C.  Spencer, 
John  Burns,  William  Burns  and  Louis  Wolverton. 

The  Deer  and  Wolf  Hunt  of  IS^O. — The  greatest  known  hunt  in  the 
history  of  the  township  was  the  one  in  the  year  above  mentioned.  The 
district  in  which  the  chase  occurred  was  bounded  on  the  north  by  Monon 
Creek,  on  the  east  by  the  Tippecanoe  River,  the  line  between  White  and 
Benton  Counties  was  the  western  boundary,  and  the  Wabash  River  was 
the  southern  line.  ISten  and  boys  were  stationed  all  round  this  line, 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  apart,  and  at  8  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the 


188  HISTORY  OF  AVHITE  COUNTY. 

''  drive"  each  was  to  move  forward  with  a  gait  sufficient  only  to  "  close 
in"  at  2  o'clock,  in  what  now  is  known  as  the  Reynolds  Grove.  In  this 
grove  three  scaffolds  had  been  erected,  on  which  the  marksmen  of  the 
day  were  positioned.  No  guns  were  allowed  in  the  ranks.  It  is  said 
that  men  attended  this  chase  from  great  distances,  some  of  them  coming 
as  far  as  twenty-five  miles.  When  the  spoils  were  counted,  it  was  found 
that  fifty  deer  and  a  great  many  wolves  had  been  killed.  Both  pro- 
visions and  whisky  had  been  hauled  to  headquarters,  and  was  as  free  as 
air  to  the  hunters. 

Chalmers. — This  enterprising' village  of  about  150  inhabitants  issitu- 
ated  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township,  on  the  Louisville,  New  Albany 
&  Chicago  Railway.  This  place  was  first  known  as  Mudge's  Station,  but 
the  name  was  afterward  changed  to  Chalmers.  The  plat  of  Chalmers  was 
surveyed  July  24,  1873,  and  is  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  northwest 
quarter  of  Section  34,  Town  26  north,  of  Range  4  west,  and  was  platted 
by  Jacob  Raub  and  wife.  It  consisted  of  103  lots  and  the  following 
streets  :  Main,  which  was  seventy  feet  wide  ;  Earl,  sixty-six  feet  wide  ; 
First,  Second  and  Third  streets  were  each  the  same  width,  sixty-six  feet, 
while  Chestnut  was  fifty-six  feet  and  Walnut  fifty  feet  in  width.  The 
alleys  were  fourteen  feet  wide.  The  first  improvement  made  on  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Chalmers  was  a  dwelling-house,  erected  about  thirty  years  ago 
by  Shaw  &  Mudge.  The  first  business  house  was  established  in  the  place 
by  Clark  Johnson  about  the  time  the  railroad  was  building  through  the 
town.  Mr.  Johnson  kept  groceries  and  a  few  dry  goods.  R.  P.  Blizzard 
was  the  first  blacksmith  of  the  village.  The  business  interests  of  Chal- 
mers at  present  are  represented  by  W.  T.  Dobbins,  dry  goods  and  grocer- 
ies ;  C.  F.  Moore,  groceries  and  boots  and  shoes ;  J.  and  W.  W.  Raub^ 
grain  dealers ;  Clarrage  &  Cowger,  blacksmiths  ;  D.  H.  Shank,  carpen- 
ter ;  Lafayette  Mitchell,  painter  ;  W.  J.  Daugh  and  A.  J.  Kent,  physic- 
ians. The  citizens  of  Chalmers  did  much  in  the  interest  of  the  gravel 
road,  which  will  soon  be  completed  to  the  village.  Vaus  Dobbins  is  the 
present  Postmaster  at  Chalmers.  The  village  is  blessed  with  a  good 
church.  The  structure  is  a  new  frame  one,  that  was  commenced  in  Oc- 
tober, 1881,  and  completed  the  same  fall.  This  church  is  36x45  feet  in 
size,  and  cost  $1,500.  The  trustees  of  this  sanctuary  are  Vaus  Dobbins, 
George  Stephens  and  W.  T.  Dobbins.  The  congregation  has  about 
twenty-five  members,  and  Rev.  J.  C.  Martin  is  the  present  minister.  The 
church  is  well  furnished,  and  has  a  seating  capacity  for  about  500,  and  is 
called  the  Chalmers  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Previous  to  the  erec- 
tion of  this  place  of  worship,  services  were  first  held  in  private  houses, 
and  then  in  the  schoolhouse  of  the  village.  Ira  Chineworth  and  wife, 
Mr.  Vanscoy  and  wife,  and  a  few  others  were  the  first  persons  to  hold  re- 
ligious services  in  the  vicinity  of  Chalmers. 


LIBERTY  TOWNSHIP.  189 


CHAPTER  X. 


UY    M.    T.    MATTHEWS. 


"Liberty  Township — Early  Settlers — Social  Customs — Elections 
— List  of  Tax-Payers — Land  Entries — Churches  and  Preach- 
ers— Schools  and  Teachers — Post  Offices. 

SCARCELY  had  the  "Dusky  Race"  quit  the  forests  of  Liberty  Town- 
ship and  paid  a  last  tribute  to  the  peaceful  old  river  that  meanders 
noiselessly  through  a  portion  of  the  township,  than  appeared  a  race  of 
greater  intelligence,  which  possessed  higher  ideas  of  life  and  civilization, 
and  laid  the  foundations  of  improvement  and  cultivation.  Almost  a  half 
century  has  elapsed  since  the  first  appearance  of  the  white  man  in  Liberty 
Township.  As  early  as  1834-85,  Crystal  D.  W.  Scott  began  settlement 
in  the  township  on  Section  11,  and  about  the  same  time  came  Greenup 
Scott,  and  began  an  improvement  on  the  same  section.  These  men  were 
among  the  very  first  in  the  township  to  make  impx'ovement.  The  squat- 
ter's shelter  and  the  Indian's  wigwam  were  the  only  buildings  known  in 
the  history  of  the  township  until  1834.  In  1836,  Jonathan  Sluyter  left 
the  old  Empire  State  and  came  to  the  township,  and  at  the  same  time 
came  Hiram  and  Abraham  Sluyter,  and  began  settlement.  This  year 
brought  into  the  township  a  man  by  the  name  of  Funk,  Squire  Hall,  John 
McDowell,  William  Fisher,  Joseph  James  and  George  J.  Baum.  Baum 
entered  a  tract  of  land,  cleared  ten  acres  of  it,  built  a  cabin,  but  soon  left 
the  township,  and  the  very  miniature  improvement  that  he  had  made  fell 
into  the  hands  of  a  man  who  was  contented  to  have  his  lot  cast  in  the 
wild  woods  of  Liberty  Township.  Lewis  Elston  and  a  man  by  ihe  name 
of  Louder  came  into  the  township  in  1836.  Abram  Sneathen  began  im- 
provement in  the  township  in  1837,  as  did  also  James  Hughes  and  John 
Parker.  Peter  Prough  and  a  man  by  the  name  of  Gebferlin,  were  among 
the  first  settlers  in  Liberty  Township.  Moses  Karr  came  into  the  town- 
ship in  1837,  and  entered  a  tract  of  land  and  returned  to  his  home  in 
Butler  County,  Ohio,  but  in  the  spring  of  1839,  he,  with  his  family,  came 
into  the  township  and  began  improvement  on  the  land  that  had  been 
entered  in  1837.  William  Conwell  began  settlement  in  the  township  in 
1839.  Thomas  Macklin  was  one  of  the  first  men  to  begin  improvement 
in  the  township.  The  year  1840  brought  David  Lucas,  and  at  the  same 
time  came  John  Shields  and  Edwin  Perry.  Jonn  C.  Hughes  came  in  1846, 
and  settled  on  Section  35.  There  were  others  who  came  about  this 
time. 


190  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

Tax  Payers  of  ISI/^S. — The  following  is  a  list  of  persons  who  paid 
taxes  upon  land  in  Liberty  Township  in  1843:  Isaiah  Bradick,  George 
Byers,  Perry  A,  Bayard,  Mary  Boughmen,  William  Barcus,  George 
Boze,  Alexander  Briggs,  Jabez  Berry,  John  Berry,  Mercer  Brown,  John 
Bitton,  George  Brown,  Benjamin  Ball,  John  Bell,  Samuel  Brown,  P.  A. 
Briggs,  Benjamin  Ball,  William  Conwell,  Phillip  Conwell,  James  Cross, 
C.  W.  Cathcart,  David  Crom,  H.  B.  Cowles,  Marcus  Glark,  Amos  Clark,. 
Edward  Cowley,  Jacob  Dibra,  Isaac  Davis,  Thomas  Downey,  James 
Dugan,  William  Dowell,  Lewis  Elston,  Samuel  Funk,  John  Frazer,  Rob- 
inson Grewell,  Samuel  Grewell,  James  Grewell,  Thomas  Grant,  Benjamin 
Grant,  Jonathan  Grewell,  Caleb  Hutt,  Elisha  Harlan,  John  Hughes, 
Isaac  Holmes,  John  Hathaway,  E.  M.  Hall,  Henry  Hanawalt,  William 
Ingrim,  Isaac  Ingrim,  John  W.  Jackson,  Moses  W.  Karr,  Robert  C. 
Karr,  Jesse  Lazier,  Abraham  Large,  Samuel  Laferty,  R.  K.  Lockwood, 
Joseph  Linzy,  Charles  Lowe,  John  Lyman,  Arnold  Lowther,  David 
Lucas,  Sr.,  David  Lucas,  Jr.,  William  Lucas,  Jonas  Munpeck,  Thomas 
Macklin,  David  McConahay,  John  Middaugh,  John  McDole,  John  Mc- 
Conahay,  William  McDole,  Ballinger  Mikesell,  Lindley  Moore,  Jacob 
Myers,  Adam  Moore,  R.  M.  Miller,  Job  Martin,  William  Miller,  John 
B.  Niles,  Jonathan  Oats,  John  Parker,  Samuel  Patten,  J.  R.  Poindexter, 
Edwin  Perry,  Silas  Pedan,  William  Ross,  Joseph  Rothrock,  J.  C.  Rey- 
nolds, Enos  Stewart,  Ezekiel  Sneathen,  Dennis  Springer,  C.  D.  W.  Scott, 
Elizabeth  Stark,  Joseph  Smith,  J.  W.  Sluyter,  William  Stewart,  Greenup 
Scott,  Elijah  Sneathen,  Joseph  Stewart,  Abram  Sneathen,  Samuel  Simons, 
John  Smith,  William  Stitt,  Joseph  Shock,  Peter  Smith,  John  Sneathen 
William  Sneathen,  Elias  Shortridge,  C.  Smith,  Samuel  L.  Steel,  William 
Site,  Enos  Thomas,  Robert  Thompson,  T.  W.  Thompson,  John  J.  Til- 
man,  Christopher  Vandeventer.  John  Willey,  James  Willey,  Nimrod 
Warden,  William  Warden,  Charles  Wright,  George  Warner,  Phillip  Will- 
iams, Michael  Williams.  Daniel  Wolf,  Moses  T.  Williamson,  R.  Witting- 
ton  and  Daniel  Yunt.  Most  of  the  foregoing  had  made  settlement  in 
the  township  in  1843. 

First  Entries  of  Land. — The  names  of  the  persons  and  the  dates  of 
the  first  entered  land  in  Liberty  Township,  are  as  follows  :  Crystal  D. 
W.  Scott,  13th  of  August,  1836  ;  William  Fisher,  18th  August,  1836 ; 
Samuel  Simmons,  same  date ;  George  W.  Mclntire,  llth  November,  1836; 
Abram  Sneathen,  10th  October,  1836  ;  John  Britton,  27th  October, 
1835  ;  John  Parker,  21st  July,  1836  ;  George  J.  Baum,  19th  February, 
1838 ;  Jacob  Dipany,  14th  December,  1837 ;  George  Merkel,  20th  De- 
cember, 1837 ;  Abel  Sim,  19th  March,  1835  ;  Harvey  Sellers,  15th 
May,  1837 ;  Lewis  Elston,  15th  April,  1846  ;  Henry  Hannawalt,  3d 
August,  1837  ;  John  S.  Hughes,  14th  August,  1837 ;  William  Caswell, 


LIBERTY   TOWNSHIP.  191 

3d  October,  1837  ;  Rodney  M.  Miller,  17tli  May,  1838,  John  McNutt, 
18th  October,  1838. 

Pioneer  Homes  and  Early  Days. — The  cabin  homes  in  the  first 
days  of  Liberty  Township  are  yet  remembered.  Around  each  one  of 
them  is  entwined  the  vino  of  sweet  memory,  and  the  old  logs  in  many  of 
them  seem  to  send  forward  through  the  lapse  of  remembered  years  a 
history  undying.  The  houses  of  the  long-ago  in  the  township  were  of 
two  kinds,  viz.,  round  and  hewed  logs.  The  common  or  ordinary  size 
of  the  round-log  cabin  was  16x18  feet,  while  that  of  the  other  was  18x20 
feet.  An  old  pioneer,  in  describing  one  of  the  first  cabins,  says,  in  sub- 
stance:  "The  little  old  16x18  round-log  cabin  yet  lives  in  the  recol- 
lections of  all  those  who  occupied  them  ;  the  old  fire-place,  around  which 
the  family  would  gather  during  the  long  evenings  in  winter  time,  yet  re- 
mains unforgotten.  The  puncheon  floor,  the  one  miniature  window  that 
possessed  not  a  window-pane,  except  one  made  of  greased  paper,  the  old 
leather-hinge  door,  with  its  ponderous  wooden  latch,  and  the  old  stick-chim- 
ney, are  some  of  the  unforgotten  things  connected  with  the  first  cabin 
homes  of  Liberty  Township."  The  early  comers  in  Liberty  Township 
sought  two  places  mainly,  the  northern  and  the  southwestern  parts  of 
the  township.  There  are  numerous  marshes  in  the  township  yet,  but- 
measures  have  already  been  adopted  for  a  more  extended  system  of  drain- 
age and,  erelong,  wet  and  unprofitable  land  in  Liberty  Township  will  be 
unknown.  The  country  was  densely  wooded,  as  a  general  thing,  but 
there  were  large  tracts  of  openings.  The  pioneers  settled  in  the  thick 
wood  and  cleared  their  farms,  and  now,  when  the  farms  are  cleared  and 
well  improved,  and  the  farmer  has  so  adjusted  his  affairs  that  he  could 
enjoy  life,  his  time  on  earth  is  well-nigh  done.  The  old  log  house  to 
live  in  and  the  new  frame  or  brick  one  to  die  in  is  the  story  emphat- 
ically told.  The  trading  of  the  early  days  was  done  at  Chicago, 
Michigan  City  and  Logansport.  Most  of  the  grain  and  produce  Avas. 
hauled  to  Michigan  City,  many  days  being  required  to  complete  a  trip 
to  market  and  return.  Much  of  the  hauling  in  those  early  times  was 
done  with  oxen  ;  sometimes  there  would  be  three  or  four  yokes  hitched 
to  one  Avagon.  There  were  about  thirty  Indians  in  the  township  in 
1836,  but  they  soon  left. 

In  1837,  game  of  all  kinds  was  very  plenty.  In  was  not  an  uncommon 
thing  to  see  twenty  or  thirty  deer  in  one  herd.  The  old  settlers  were 
nearly  all  good  hunters,  and  would  kill  from  fifteen  to  twenty  deer  each 
winter.  The  deer  from  the  forest,  the  chickens  from  the  prairies  and  the 
huckleberries  from  the  marshes,  afforded  the  early  settlers  means  of  sus- 
tenance. John  C.  Karr  used  to  kill  deer  and  salt  them  down  after  the 
manner  of  salting  down  pork  in  these  later  days.  In  that  way,  Mr.  K. 
would  have  venison  all  summer. 


192  HISTORY   OF   WHITE   COUNTY. 

Creation  of  Township. — At  the  September  term  of  Commissioners' 
Court  in  1837,  it  was  ordered  that  all  that  portion  of  White  County  lying 
east  of  the  Tippecanoe  River,  and  north  of  the  north  line  of  Section  16, 
Township  28  north,  of  Range  3  west,  constitute  a  new  civil  township  and 
to  be  designated  as  Liberty  Township  ;  and  it  was  further  ordered  that 
all  that  portion  of  Pulaski  County,  lying  immediately  north  of  the  new 
township  be  attached  thereto.  The  house  of  Crystal  D.  W.  Scott  was 
designated  as  the  place  for  holding  elections.  At  the  May  term  of  the 
Commissioners'  Court  in  1838,  a  petition,  bearing  the  name  of  Jonathan 
Sluyter  and  divers  other  citizens  of  Monon  and  Liberty  Townships,  was 
presented,  praying  a  change  in  the  boundary  lines  of  the  township,  and  it 
was  ordered,  thereupon,  that  the  east  side  of  Monon  Township  be  at- 
tached to  Liberty  Township,  and  to  be  bounded  as  follows  :  Leaving  the 
Tippecanoe  River  at  the  point  where  the  south  line  of  Section  16  crosses 
said  river,  thence  west,  parallel  with  the  section  line  to  the  southwest 
corner  of  Section  16,  in  Township  28  north,  of  Range  3  west,  thence 
north,  parallel  with  the  section  line  to  the  north  boundary  line  of  White 
County.  Liberty  Township  is  in  the  north  tier  of  townships,  and  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  Pulaski  County,  east  by  Cass  and  Jackson 
Townships,  south  by  Union,  and  west  by  Monon  and  Union.  In  1839, 
the  township  was  divided  into  two  road  districts.  All  that  portion  of 
the  township  lying  north  of  Section  16  constituted  Road  District  No. 
1,  and  all  south  of  this  section  line.  District  No.  2.  Christopher  Vande- 
venter,  Supervisor  of  Road  District  No.  2,  in  1840,  made  his  annual 
report  to  the  Commissioners,  which  was  approved  by  them  and  they  ordered 
that  Mr.  Vandeventer  be  allowed  the  sum  of  75  cents  for  extra  service 
for  the  year  1840.  In  1848,  John  S.  Hughes  was  allowed  the  sum  of 
$4  for  services  rendered  as  Overseer  of  the  Poor  in  the  township,  from 
the  first  Monday  in  June,  1848,  until  the  first  Monday  in  June,  1849. 
"The  "spoil  "  system  was  not  so  thoroughlyintroduced  into  politics  in  those 
early  times  as  it  is  at  present. 

First  Elections. — The  first  election  held  in  Liberty  Township  was  at 
the  house  of  Crystal  D.  W.  Scott,  on  the  first  Monday  in  April,  1838, 
and  at  it  the  following  men  voted  :  Christopher  Vandeventer,  Joseph 
Smith,  John  McDowell,  Greenup  Scott,  Benjamin  Grant,  Andrew 
Beechum,  Jonathan  W.  Sluyter,  Crystal  D.  W.  Scott,  James  W.  Hall, 
Thomas  Hamilton,  John  Parker  and  James  Baum.  At  this  election, 
twelve  votes  were  cast,  and  James  W.  Hall  received  the  whole  number 
of  votes  for  Justice  of  the  Peace ;  Crystal  D.  W.  Scott,  for  Inspector 
of  Elections  ;  Jonathan  W.  Sluyter,  for  Constable;  Joseph  Smith  and 
Thomas  Hamilton,  for  Overseers  of  the  Poor  ;  John  Parker,  for  Super- 
visor;  and  Andrew  Beechum  and  Greenup  Scott,  for  Fence  Viewers. 


LIBERTY    TOWNSHIP.  193 

At  an  election  held  at  the  same  place  on  the  first  Monday  in  August, 

1838,  men  voted  as  follows  :  Abrara  Sneathen,  Andrew  Beechum,  Evan 
Thomas,  Christopher  Vandeventer,  John  Parker,  C.  D.  W.  Scott,  Will- 
iam Davison,  James  W.  Hall,  Thomas  Hamilton,  Elijah  Sneathen,  Ben- 
jamin Grant,  V.  Sluyter,  James  G.  Brown,  Joseph  Smith,  William  Gary 

and  W.  W.  Curtis. 

At  an  election   held  in  the   township  on  the  first  Monday   in  April, 

1839,  twelve  votes  were  cast  and  John  McNary  received  the  whole  num- 
ber of  votes  for  Constable;  C.  D.  W.  Scott,  for  Inspector  ;  John  McDonald, 
Supervisor  for  First  District ;  and  Andrew  Beechum,  for  Second  District ; 
John  Morris  and  Greenup  Scott,  for  Fence  Viewers  ;  and  Daniel  Baura 
and  Elijah  Sneathen,  for  Overseers  of  the  Poor  ;  C.  D.  W.  Scott,  Thomas 
Lansing  and  John  McNary,  Judges  ;  S.  W.  Hall  and  Christopher  Van- 
deventer, Clerks.  At  an  election  held  in  the  township  in  1848,  there 
were  seventy  votes  cast.  The  early  elections  gave  the  inhabitants  a 
chance  to  meet  each  other  and  become  acquainted  with  the  settlers  living 
in  the  different  settlements  in  the  township.  Elections  in  those  long  since 
gone  days  were  more  of  a  social  nature  rather  than  strictly  partisan 
meetings,  where  party  politics  was  the  leading  topic  of  discussion. 

First  Marriage. — Perhaps  the  first  wedding  that  ever  occurred  in 
Liberty  Township  took  place  in  the  spring  of  1839,  at  the  log  cabin  of 
Greenup  Scott.  Elijah  Sneathen  and  Sarah  Gruell  were  the  contracting 
parties.  The  ceremony  was  performed  by  some  now-forgotten  Justice  of 
the  Peace.  Weddings  in  those  days  of  yore  were  "  few  and  far  between," 
and  were  generally  attended  by  all  the  neighbors,  even  though  some  of 
whom  lived  five  or  six  miles  from  the  scene  of  the  transaction.  In  those 
good  old  days,  everybody  not  only  appeared  happy,  but  such  was  the  fact. 
Those  days,  when  everybody  was  poor  alike,  when  castes  were  unknown 
in  society,  before  the  days  of  petty  differences  and  neighborhood  quarrels, 
were  the  constant  happy  days  of  the  country. 

Birth. — William  Boze  is  the  oldest  man  in  the  township  that  was 
Liberty  Township-born. 

First  Death. — James  Hall  was  the  first  white  person  who  died  in  the 
lownship.  The  remains  were  interred  in  what  has  since  become  known  as 
Hughes'  Burying  Ground. 

Old  Mrs.  Sneathan,  who  died  in  1838,  was  one  of  the  first  persons  de- 
ceased in  Liberty  Township.  The  body  was  laid  at  rest  in  Clark's 
Graveyard. 

Early-Day  Schools. — One  morning"  in  the  early  autumn  of  1837,  the 
sounds  of  Jonathan  W.  Sluyter's  ax  rang  clear  and  meaningly  through 
the  unbroken  forest.  The  sounds  seemed  to  say:  The  children  must  be 
taught.     We  must  educate  or  we  must  perish.     Schools,  the  hope  of  our 


194  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

country,  Mr.  Sluyter,  -when  interrogated  by  some  passer-  by  as  to  what 
he  was  doing,  replied:  "  Am  building  a  schoolhouse."  This  schoolhouse 
was  the  first  in  the  township.  It  was  constructed  of  round  logs,  was  fif- 
teen feet  square,  had  a  large  fire-place,  was  supplied  with  backless  pun- 
cheon seats  and  had  one  w^indow.  David  McConahay  taught  the  first 
school.  Funks,  Conwells,  Halls,  Sluyter  and  Louders  patronized  the 
school.  George  Hall  taught  a  term  in  this  house,  and  the  school  at  that 
time  numbered  about  fifteen  pupils.  In  1838,  John  C.  V.  Shields  taught 
a  school  at  his  house.  The  term  lasted  one  quarter;  reading,  spelling 
and  ciphering  were  the  branches  taught.  Lester  Smith  taught  a  three 
months'  term  at  his  house.  In  about  1840,  Jonathan  W.  Sluyter  built  a 
second  schoolhouse  near  where  the  first  one  had  been  erected.  This 
structure  was  built  of  hewed  logs,  and  in  all  respects  was  a  much 
better  house  than  the  first  one  put  up.  In  1845  or  1846,  a  schoolhouse  was 
erected  on  Section  22.  The  first  frame  schoolhouse  in  the  township  was 
what  was  known  as  the  Cullens  Schoolhouse. 

The  township  contains  eleven  frame  schoolhouses.  There  were  406 
pupils  admitted  to  the  schools  during  1882,  Moses  Karr,  Christopher 
Vandeventer  and  Crystal  D.  W.  Scott  were  the  first  Trustees  in  the 
township,  and  George  W.  Riffle  is  the  present  Trustee. 

The  schools  in  the  township  have  made^reat  advancement  in  the  last 
ten  years,  and  they  are  leading  the  way  to  higher  and  greater  develop- 
ment in  civilization. 

Preachers  and  Churches. — Rev.  John  Scott  was  the  first  circuit- 
rider  that  ever  journeyed  through  the  township,  and  Rev.  Abram  Sneathen 
was  the  second.  These  Gospel  patriots  held  meetings  at  private  houses- 
first,  and  afterward  at  the  schoolhouses. 

The  first  denomination  to  organize  a  class  in  the  township  was  the 
New  Light.  The  organization  was  created  at  the  cabin-house  of  Crystal  D- 
W.  Scott,  in  1837.  Here  services  were  held  for  two  years.  In  1839,  a 
church  was  built  in  the  new  Scott  settlement.  The  structure  was  twen- 
ty-five feet  square,  and  built  of  round  black  oak  logs.  Abram  Sneathen 
was  the  founder  of  this  church,  and  its  minister.  Crystal  D.  W.  Scott  and 
wife,  Greenup  Scott  and  wife,  Mrs.  Gruell  and  daughter,  and  Jonathan 
W.  Sluyter  and  wife  were  some  of  the  first  members.  For  a  time,  the 
church  here  was  well  attended,  but  at  the  close  of  the  first  decade  the 
work  of  saving  souls  at  this  old  rustic  sanctuary  was  abandoned. 

The  Baptist  class  at  Sitka  was  the  second  religious  organization  in 
the  township.  This  is  a  branch  of  the  Monticello  Baptist  Church,  and  at 
the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  class  at  Sitka  the  following  persons 
constituted  the  total  membership :  J.  C.  Hughes,  R.  Hughes,  Laura 
Hughes,  Thomas  Hughes,  Catherine    Hughes,  E valine  Hughes,  S.  L. 


LIBERTY    TOWNSHIP.  195 

Hughes,  Sarah  Hughes,  Phoebe  Myres,  Violet  Morgan,  Mary  Week, 
William  Fleming,  Phebe  Funk,  Benjamin  Reed,  Mary  Reed,  Luther 
Wolf,  Lydia  Wolf,  John  W.  Morgan,  Ruth  Wolf,  Samuel  Wolf,  Eliza 
Wolf,  William  L.  Wolf,  Terrissa  Wolf,  Amanda  Wolf,  Lydia  Criswell, 
and  Mary  Benjamin.  This  organization  was  effected  in  1850,  and  serv- 
ices held  in  the  Sitka  Sclioolhouse.  The  church  was  built  in  the  fall  of 
1873.  This  is  a  frame  structure,  35x45  feet,  and  built  at  a  cost  of  $1,100, 
John  C.  Hughes  donated  the  ground.  A.  H.  Dooley  was  the  first  minis- 
ter; then  Lewis  McCrary  was  employed  for  one  year,  and  at  the  end  of 
that  time  Dooley  was  recalled  and  is  the  present  minister.  The  church 
has  a  present  membership  of  fifty. 

The  Christian  Church,  located  about  one  mile  northwest  of  Sitka, 
is  the  third  church  that  was  built  in  the  township.  The  year  1874  dates 
the  erection  of  this  well-constructed  frame  edifice,  which  is  34x50  feet, 
and  cost  about  $2,000.  Phillip  Conwell  donated  the  ground.  Dr.  Scott 
and  wife,  William  Williamson  and  wife,  Larkin  Craig  and  wife,  Joseph 
Mourer  and  wife,  and  the  Edwards  family,  constituted  some  of  the  most 
prominent  first  members.  Rev.  Harrison  Edwards  was  the  first  regu- 
larly employed  minister  who  preached  in  the  new  church,  and  Rev.  Lilly 
is  the  present  pastor.     The  congregation  numbers  about  forty  members. 

The  fourth  and  last  church  erected  in  Liberty  Township  is  the  Dun- 
kard  Church  at  Sitka.  This  church  is  also  widely  known  as  the  Church 
of  God.  The  structure,  a  neatly  built  and  well-furnished  one,  was  put 
up  in  the  autumn  of  1880,  at  a  cost  of  $1,000.  The  class  was  organ- 
ized about  twenty-five  years  ago,  and  until  1880  meetings  were  held  in 
private  houses  or  at  the  schoolhouses.  Joseph  E.  Hughes  and  wife,  Levi 
Wafer  and  wife,  J.  Hoffman  and  wife,  Robert  Conwell  and  wife,  James 
Conwell  and  wife,  were  some  of  the  first  advocates  of  the  "  Dunker  " 
doctrine  in  the  vicinity.  George  Patten  and  wife  were  the  founders  of 
the  class.  Uriah  Patten  was  the  first  minister.  The  church  has  fifty 
active  members. 

The  township  already  contains  three  churches,  but  there  is  a  move- 
ment advancing  in  the  northern  part  under  the  management  of  the  Pres- 
byterian denomination  for  the  fourth  ;  $600  have  been  subscribed  and  the 
erection  of  this  church  is  engaging  the  attention  of  some  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  in  Liberty  Township  north.  The  site  for  the  edifice 
has  been  donated  by  John  C.  Karr. 

Post  Offices. — The  first  post  ofiice  in  the  township  was  what  was  known 
as  Buffalo,  and  was  established  at  the  farmhouse  of  Jonathan  W. 
Sluyter,  about  the  year  1857,  and  Mr.  Sluyter  was  the  Postmaster.  The 
oflSce  existed  for  several  years  and  then  was  discontinued.  Efforts  are 
making  for  the  re-establishment  of  the  Buffalo  office.     About  1867,  the 


196  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

Flowerville  office  was  established.  This  office  was  also  at  a  private  house, 
on  the  west  side  of  the  the  Tippecanoe  River ;  A.  A.  Cole  was  the  first 
Postmaster,  and  Joseph  Shell  is  the  present  incumbent.  The  third  and 
last  post  office  established  in  the  township  is  the  Sitka  Post  Office,  which 
was  started  at  Sitka  in  April,  1880.  Allison  Hughes  was  the  first  Post- 
master. Hughes  ran  the  office  nearly  two  years,  when  R.  Hughes  was  ap- 
pointed. Allison  Hughes  kept,  in  connection  with  the  office,  a  small 
stock  of  general  merchandise,  but  last  year  sold  his  entire  stock  to  J.  A. 
Read  for  |200.  Mr.  Read  is  Sitka's  only  merchant,  and  has  about  $1,000 
invested. 

Miscellaneous. — Drs.  Randal  and  Scott  have  been  the  township 
physicians.  Jonathan  W.  Sluyter,  Crystal  D.  W.  Scott,  Greenup  Scott 
and  Abram  Sneathen  were  the  noted  early-day  hunters.  Mrs.  Williams 
was  one  of  the  first  and  prominent  weavers  in  the  township.  The  new 
iron  bridge  across  the  Tippecanoe  River,  at  what  is  widely  known  as 
Moore's  Ford,  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  county.  The  bridge  is  in  two 
parts,  one  165  feet  long,  and  the  other  135  feet.  The  bridge  has  stone 
abutments,  and  was  erected  in  1882  at  a  cost  of  about  $14,000.  The 
Columbia  Bridge  Company,  at  Dayton,  Ohio,  have  the  honor  of  putting 
up  this  creditable  structure.  On  the  Williams  farm  are  some  remain- 
ing traces  of  the  work  of  Mound-Builders.  The  work  consisted  of 
building  four  mounds,  the  highest  one  of  which  is  about  nine  feet.  These 
mounds  have  never  been  thoroughly  investigated.  About  twenty  years  since, 
some  boys  opened  one  of  them,  but  upon  the  discovery  of  a  few  bones, 
became  frightened  and  at  once  abandoned  the  investigation.  Hatchets, 
tomahawks,  stone  axes,  pipes  and  other  Indian  relics  have  been  found  in 
the  vicinity  of  these  mounds. 


CHAPTER     XI 


MATTHEWS. 


West  Point  Township — First  Settlement — Formation  of  Town- 
ship— First  Elections  and  Voters — The  First  Schoolhousb 
AND  Teacher — Land  Entries — First  Birth,  Marriage  and 
Death — Church  Interests — Forney  Post  Office — Meadow  Lake 
Farm,  etc.,  etc. 

ABOUT  the  year  1835  dates  the  appearance  of  the  Caucasian  race 
in  the  territory  that  now  comprises  the  township  of  West  Point. 
Perhaps  the  first  men  who  began  improvement  in  the  township  were 
Messrs.  Shelby  Hudson  and  Oscar  Dyer,  who  established  themselves  in 


WEST  POINT  TOWNSHIP.  197 

the  northeastern  part  of  the  township.  The  houses  that  these  men  erect- 
ed were  about  a  half  a  mile  apart,  similar  in  their  construction  and 
arrangement.  Each  house  was  16x18  feet,  built  of  split  trees  ;  each  had 
its  roof  of  clapboards ;  its  small  garret,  which  was  accessible  only  by 
means  of  that  old  dangerous  garret  ladder ;  its  one  small  and  paneless 
window  ;  and  last,  but  not  least,  the  old-fashioned  fire-place. 

Before  the  snows  of  1835  had  whitened  the  earth,  Isaac  Vinson  and 
family  left  the  State  of  buckeye  notoriety  and  started  on  their  way  with 
one  two-horse  wagon  and  a  buggy  attached,  to  White  County,  Ind. 
The  journey  was  a  tedious  one,  taking  twenty-nine  days  to  make  it.  The 
family  would  travel  during  the  day  and  at  night  would  "camp  out." 
Provision  was  brought  with  them  from  the  old  home,  except  bread,  which 
was  purchased  of  families  along  the  route.  The  buggy  that  Mr.  Vinson 
brought  with  him  served  two  purposes — Mrs.  Vinson  and  the  two  chil- 
dren would  ride  in  it  during  the  day,  and  at  night  it  was  converted  into 
a  sleeping  apartment  for  the  whole  family.  Mr.  Vinson  settled  first  in 
Union  Township,  where  he  lived  until  the  spring  of  1838,  when  he  re- 
moved to  West  Point  Township,  and  purchased  the  improvement  that  had 
been  begun  by  Shelby  Hudson  in  1835.  When  the  Vinson  family  set- 
tled in  West  Point  Township,  the  Pottawatomie  Indians  were  quite 
numerous.  An  Indian  camping  ground  lay  just  across  Big  Creek,  and 
only  a  short  distance  from  the  Vinson  settlement.  The  wild  men  of  the 
prairie  and  forest  would  come  to  Vinson's  house  for  favors  and  to  do  trad- 
ing. The  articles  they  had  for  trade  were  of  Indian  manufacture,  or 
such  as  they  could  obtain  by  hunting.  Old  Mrs.  Vinson  did  considerable 
trading  with  the  Pottawatomie  tribe,  and  tells  that  many  times  she  has 
bartered  two  or  three  cold  corn  cakes  for  the  saddles  (hindquarters)  of  a 
deer,  and  that  it  was  no  uncommon  occurrence  for  two  or  three  saddles 
to  be  exchanged  for  one  loaf  of  wheat  or  rye  bread.  In  the  early  days 
of  West  Point  Township,  the  deer  were  as  numerous  almost  as  the  trees 
in  the  forest,  and  game  of  all  kinds  was  exceedingly  plentiful.  One 
winter,  Mrs.  Vinson  made  a  trap  and  caught  101  prairie  chickens.  In 
1838,  John  Price  came  into  the  township  and  began  settlement,  but  his 
wife  was  taken  ill  in  mid-summer  of  the  same  year,  and  in  the  fall  the 
family  retraced  its  steps  to  its  native  home  in  Ohio,  which  was  about 
thirty  miles  north  of  the  Queen  city.  A  short  time  afterward,  Mr.  Price 
returned  alone  to  his  newly-commenced  settlement  in  West  Point  Town- 
ship, and  almost  immediately  upon  his  return  to  the  township,  he  was 
taken  sick  with  inflammatory  rheumatism,  and  for  three  months  lay  in 
an  almost  helpless  condition  at  the  Vinson  House.  The  following  spring, 
Price  sold  all  his  possessions  and  left  the  township.  Isaac  Beeze,  a  noted 
hunter,  came  into  the  township   in   1837.     It   is   said  of  Beeze,  that  his 


198  HISTORY   OF   WHITE   COUNTY. 

desire  was  so  great  for  hunting,  that  he  would  go  for  days  without  eating, 
and  as  many  as  twenty  unskinned  deer  have  been  known  to  be  in  his 
smoke-house,  frozen  stiff,  at  a  time,  and  Beeze  still  hunting.  Beeze 
never  made  much  improvement,  and  soon  left  the  township  and  settled  in 
Pulaski  County,  where  he  was  killed  by  a  man  by  the  name  of  Rader,  a 
fellow  who  had  served  a  term  of  years  doing  muscle  work  in  the  interest 
of  the  State  without  compensation.  He  had  regular  meals,  however.  The 
remains  of  Beeze  repose  in  the  Brookston  cemetery,  unmarked  and  un- 
cared  for,  and  thus  endeth  the  earthly  history  of  the  once  noted  hunter 
of  West  Point  Township.  Sylvanus  Van  Voorst  began  settlement  in  the 
township  about  the  year  1841,  and  about  the  same  time  came  John  Van 
Voorst  and  Drury  Woods,  and  began  for  themselves  homes  in  the  then 
new  country.  In  1841,  Dr.  Halstead,  the  first  physician  in  the  township, 
came  from  Ohio,  and  began  improving  a  home  in  the  new  country,  and 
at  the  same  time  came  his  brother,  Bartlett  Halstead.  William  Jordan 
removed  from  Tippecanoe  County  in  1844,  to  the  settlement  in  the  town- 
ship. As  early  as  1843,  James  Carson  and  Gideon  Brecount  began  im- 
provements in  the  territory.  In  1847,  Thomas  Matthews  removed  from 
Clinton  County,  Ind.,  and  began  settlement  in  the  township  on  Section 
3.  In  1852,  the  territory  had  added  to  its  number  of  inhabitants  James 
Thomas,  Jr.,  Cicero  F.  Thomas  and  Joseph  Thomas,  Sr.  The  first  set- 
tlements made  in  West  Point  Township  were  principally  along  the  point 
of  timber  that  extends  through  a  portion  of  the  township,  near  Jordan's 
Grove,  and  in  the  northeastern  and  southeastern  parts  of  the  township. 
Settlements  in  West  Point  Township  were  more  numerous  after  1850 
than  they  had  hitherto  been. 

Township  Formation. — At  the  June  term  of  the  Commissioners' 
Court,  and  on  the  3d  day  of  June,  1845,  it  was  ordered  by  the  board  that 
a  new  civil  township  be  organized  within  the  bounds  of  White  County, 
and  the  new  township  was  to  be  comprised  of  the  following  described  terri- 
tory :  All  of  Township  26  north.  Range  5  west,  and  all  the  territory  west 
to  the  county  line.  It  was  further  agreed  by  the  board,  that  the  new 
township  be  designated  in  the  roll  of  townships  as  West  Point  Township. 
This  name  was  derived  from  a  point  of  timber  that  extends  into  the  town- 
ship several  miles.  This  appropriate  name  the  township  has  since 
retained.  West  Point  Township  is  one  of  the  largest  in  White  County^ 
is  nine  miles  long  and  six  miles  wide,  and  has  an  area  of  fifty- 
four  square  miles,  or  34,560  acres,  and  has  for  its  northern  boundary 
Princeton  Township ;  eastern,  Big  Creek  ;  southern,  Prairie  and  Round 
Grove,  and  western,  Benton  County. 

The  major  portion  of  the  land  in  West  Point  Township  is  of  that  kind 
known  as  rolling  prairie.     The  soil  is  a  black  sand  loam,  except  in  the 


WEST  POINT  TOWNSHIP.  199 

northeastern  part,  which  is  of  that  quality  common  to  sand  ridges  or  wet 
prairie.  The  township  has  about  thirty-five  miles  of  public  drainage, 
constructed  at  a  cost  of  $35,000.  In  addition  to  the  public  ditches,  the 
township  contains  much  private  drainage.  West  Point  Township  con- 
tains one  of  the  finest  walnut  groves  in  Western  Indiana.  It  is  known  as 
Jordan's  Grove,  and  contains  320  acres  of  valuable  walnut  timber.  The 
board  ordered,  further,  that  the  election  of  West  Point  Township  be  held 
at  West  Point  Schoolhouse,  and  Gideon  Brecount  was  appointed  Inspector 
of  the  election. 

First  Elections. — At  an  election  held  at  West  Point  Schoolhouse  on 
the  first  Monday  in  August,  1845,  the  following  men  voted :  Ira  Emery, 
Sylvanus  Van  Voorst,  Alexander  Page,  Jesse  Tinnison,  William  Vodyce, 
Isaac  Beeze,  William  Jordan,  John  Halstead,  Barney  Spencer,  Gideon 
Brecount  and  Isaac  S.  Vinson. 

At  an  election  held  at  the  same  place  one  year  later,  men  voted  as 
follows:  William  Price.  John  Q.  Patterson,  Isaac  S.  Vinson,  Alexander 
Page,  Joseph  Tapp,  Sylvanus  Van  Voorst,  William  Jordan,  Joseph  Mar- 
tin, William  Vandyke,  John  Wallston,  Jesse  T.  Vinson,  Gideon  Brecount, 
Isaac  Beeze,  Simon  Warren,  John  Halstead  and  Thomas  Emery.  At  the 
first  of  these  elections  there  were  fourteen  votes  cast,  and  at  the  last  six- 
teen votes.  There  were  seventy-eight  votes  cast  in  the  township  in  1865, 
and  240  in  1882. 

School  Interests. — The  first  schoolhouse  that  was  built  in  West  Point 
Township  was  erected  about  the  year  1844,  and  near  the  site  of  the  pres- 
ent West  Point  Schoolhouse.  The  building  was  a  round  log  structure, 
18x24  feet,  and  was  noted  for  its  floor  of  puncheon  and  its  backless  seats. 
James  Carson  taught  the  first  school,  which  numbered  ten  pupils,  some  of 
whom  were  obliged  to  come  a  distance  of  several  miles  if  they  attended 
school.     At  this  schoolhouse  the  first  elections  in  the  township  were  held. 

The  first  frame  schoolhouses  erected  in  the  township  were  built  by 
Abram  Van  Voorst,  who  hauled  the  material  from  Delphi  for  them.  One 
of  the  houses  was  erected  on  Section  7,  and  the  other  on  Section  15. 
The  buildings  Avere  similarly  constructed,  and  were  20x24  feet,  and  cost 
$500  each.  There  are  now  nine  frame  schoolhouses  in  the  township, 
the  last  one  having  been  built  in  Centennial  year.  The  following  are 
the  West  Point  Township  teachers  for  the  current  school  year,  and  the 
district  in  which  they  are  teaching:  No.  1,  Walter  Carr;  No.  2,  Robert 
A.  Laurie;  No.  3,  Flora  McKee ;  No.  4,  William  F.  Fisher;  No.  6, 
Samuel  Young ;  No.  8,  Flora  Thomas ;  No.  9,  Jennie  Wallace ;  No.  10, 
J.  C.  Jackson  ;  No.  12,  Frank  Moore.  Benjamin  Walker  is  the  present 
School  Trustee  of  the  township. 

First  Land  Entries. — The  following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  persons 


200  HISTORY  OF  AVHITE  COUNTY. 

who  entered  land  in  West  Point  Township,  and  the  date  of  the  entry  is 
also  given  :  Thomas  H.  Brown,  1836 ;  Joshua  H.  Scarff,  1839 ;  I.  T. 
Vinson,  1841  ;  Jacob  Nyce,  1841 ;  Andrew  Brown,  1836 ;  George  Mc- 
Gaughey,  1835;  John  Lewis,  1835;  Armstrong  Buchanan,  1835;  Nathan 
Goff,  1837;  John  Hutchinson,  1837;  William  Galford,  1834;  John  F. 
Bunnell,  1834  ;  Shelby  Hudson,  1834  ;  Oscar  Dyer,  1836 ;  John  Price, 
1836;  Isaac  S.  Vinson,  1836;  Thomas  H.  Hibbard,  1836;  Charles  P. 
Kirkland,  1836;  Michael  C.  Doughtery,  1836;  Jacob  Walker,  1836; 
Calvin  Finch,  1836.  There  were  many  tracts  of  land  entered  in  the 
township  by  persons  who  made  no  improvement,  but  held  the  land  in  a 
speculative  sense  simply. 

The  first  frame  dwelling  house  in  West  Point  Township  was  erected  by 
John  Van  Voorst.  The  material  was  brought  from  Lucas  County,  Ohio, 
by  canal  boat  to  Pittsburg,  in  Tippecanoe  County,  and  then  wagoned 
across  the  country  to  the  building  site  in  West  Point  Township. 

First  Birth. — The  first  white  child  born  in  West  Point  Township  is 
supposed  to  have  been  Miller  Beeze,  a  son  of  the  old  hunter  of  the 
township. 

First  Marriage. — James  Carson,  the  township's  first  school  teacher, 
and  Miss  Lydia  Brecount  were  the  first  persons  who  were  married  in 
West  Point  Township.  The  marriage  occurred  in  1840,  and  Isaac  Vin- 
son and  wife,  Samuel  McQuin  and  wife,  and  Isaac  Beeze  and  wife  were 
some  of  the  persons  who  attended  the  wedding.  A  Presbyterian  minis- 
ter from  Monticello  sealed  the  twain  as  one. 

First  Death. — An  infant  child  of  John  and  Mrs.  Price  that  died  in 
the  summer  of  1838,  is  the  first  death  that  occurred  in  the  township. 
The  death  of  William  Vinson  (son  of  Isaac  S.  and  Mrs.  Vinson),  on  the 
21st  of  August,  1838,  was  also  one  of  the  first  that  took  place  in  West 
Point  Township. 

Ministers  and  Churches. — One  of  the  first  preachers  that  ever 
preached  in  West  Point  Township,  was  a  circuit  rider  by  th6  mama  of 
Lee.  Rev.  Lee  was  a  representative  of  the  orthodox  faith  and  an  advo- 
cate of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  preached  at  the  Old  Vinson 
House,  and  during  his  administration  held  several  protracted  meetings  at 
that  place. 

A  Methodist  Episcopal  class  was  organized  in  the  township  about 
1844,  and  a  log  church  was  erected  on  Section  2,  Range  5  west. 

The  United  Brethren  in  Christ  held  services  in  the  township  in  No. 
2  schoolhouse.  The  only  church  in  the  township  is  the  Presbyterian 
Meadow  Lake  Chapel,  situated  in  the  northern  part  of  the  township. 
The  structure  is  a  well-built  frame  structure,  26x40  feet,  built  in  1877  at 
a  cost  of  $2,000.     The  class  was  organized  at  the  Meadow  Lake  School- 


WEST  POINT  TOWNSHIP.  201 

house  in  1874,  and  Jesse  McAllister  and  wife,  Oliver  Wilson  and  wife, 
E.  G.  Roberts  and  wife,  Samuel  Snyder  and  wife,  J.  Duryea  and  wife, 
James  Blakemore  and  wife  and  Christian  Miller  were  the  organizers  of  the 
class.  William  Campbell  was  the  first  minister  who  was  called  by  the 
congregation  to  preach  in  the  new  church.  John  Smith  was  the  second 
minister ;  Campbell  was  recalled  and  preached  for  several  years,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Angus  Taylor.  The  church  has  no  regular  minister  at  pres- 
ent.    The  congregation  numbers  fifty  members. 

Forney  Post  Office. — West  Point  Township  has  one  post  oflSce,  and 
that  is  located  on  the  Lafayette  &  Wolcott  Mail  route,  and  is  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  township.  This  office  was  established  in  1881, 
and  James  Rittenour  was  the  first  Postmaster.  John  W.  Forney  is  the 
present  incumbent.  The  ofiice  has  a  tri-weekly  mail,  and  serves  as  a  great 
accommodation  to  the  people  residing  in  that  section  of  country. 

Meadow  Lake  Farm. — West  Point  Township  contains  a  number  of 
fine  and  splendidly  improved  farms,  but  if  there  is  one  that  deserves  a 
more  special  mention  than  another,  it  is,  perhaps,  the  Meadow  Lake  Stock 
Farm,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  township.  This  farm  contains  900 
acres  of  choice  land,  and  is  owned  by  Chicago's  greatest  express  and 
omnibus  man,  Frank  Parmalee,  and  is  superintended  by  his  son,  C.  K. 
Parmalee,  and  under  his  efficient  management  is  fast  becoming  second  to 
none  in  Indiana.  Located  on  the  Meadow  Lake  Farm  is  one  of  the  larg- 
est,as  well  as  one  of  the  best  and  most  conveniently  arranged,barns  in  the 
State.  This  improvement  was  commenced  in  1880  and  completed  in 
1881.  The  barn  is  75x150  feet  and  forty-five  feet  high,  contains  375,- 
000  feet  of  lumber,  and  was  built  by  Thomas  Pugh,  of  Wolcott,  at  an  esti- 
mated cost  of  $12,000.  Mr.  Parmalee  is  sparing  no  pains,  labor  or  capi- 
tal in  making  his  farm  one  of  the  best  stock  farms  that  the  country 
afibrds.  This  farm  is  supplied  with  thoroughbred  stock,  and  is  a  credit 
to  its  founder  and  an  honor  to  West  Point  Township. 


202  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

BY    M.    T.    MATTHEWS. 

Cass  Township — First  Settlements — Birth  and  Marriage — Cre- 
ation OF  Township — Name,  etc. — Educational  Growth  and 
Interest — Election — 1851  Tax-Payers — First  Entries  of  Land 
— Drainage — Post  Office — First  Preacher,  etc. 

IT  is  not  remembered  who  was  the  first  man  to  make  improvement  in 
the  once  wild  territory  that  now  composes  Cass  Township,  but  Chris- 
topher Vandeventer  was  one  of  the  first  white  men  to  begin  a  settlement. 
From  the  Empire  State,  in  the  spring  of  1837,  came  Vandeventer,  who 
located  on  the  south  branch  of  Indian  Creek.  Here,  a  cabin  20x26  feet 
was  erected  of  round  logs.  Settlement  was  commenced  on  Section  12 
in  1837,  by  Daniel  Yount,  and  the  same  year  came  Tavner  Reams,  and 
began  settlement  in  the  township.  In  1838,  Edwin  Perry  settled  on  Sec- 
tion 27.  Philander  McCloud,  Joseph  Headlee  and  Josiah  Dunlap  were 
among  the  first  to  settle  in  the  township.  Charles  Reed  came  in  1840. 
Jesse  Millison  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  Cass  Township.  John  Poole 
settled  in  the  township  at  an  early  day.  Stephen  Moore  came  in  1845. 
William  McBeth  began  an  improvement  in  1847.  John  Burgett,  com- 
monly distinguished  as  Dutch  John,  settled  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
township  in  1846.  On  Section  35,  Elias  Vanaman  began  settlement  about 
1848.  William  Bare  settled  at  a  very  early  day  in  the  history  of  Cass 
Township,  on  Section  34.  Robert  Acre,  Robert  Blackburn,  William 
King,  Benjamin  Bare  and  Henry  Bare  were  among  the  very  first  settlers 
in  the  township. 

At  the  time  of  the  United  States  survey  of  lands  in  White  County, 
the  territory  that  now  comprises  Cass  Township  was  returned  by  the  Sur- 
veyor as  condemned,  or  dead,  land,  but  in  1837  Gen,  Tipton,  Congress- 
man from  this  section  at  that  time,  introduced  a  bill  into  the  Lower  House 
providing  for  the  survey  of  the  territory,  which  was  done  in  1839  by 
Richard  Vanesse,  of  Logansport.  For  many  years,  Cass  Township  was. 
known  as  the  "  Lone  Township." 

Pioneer  Life. — The  coming  of  each  family  to  Cass  Township  meant 
the  erection  of  a  cabin,  and  another  settlement  in  the  forest  by  clearing 
the  ground  and  preparation  for  crops.  These  clearings  for  the  first  year 
or  two  were  usually  limited  to  an  acre  or  two  planted  to  corn  and  vegeta- 
bles, with,  perhaps,  a  patch  of  oats  and  wheat.  To  be  successful  in  those 
days  in  raising  grain  and  "garden  truck,"  required  great  vigilance  to 
protect  them   from   the   depredations   of  the   wild   turkey,  deer,  raccoon, 


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CASS  TOWNSHIP.  205 

squirrel  and  other  pestiferous  animals  with  which  the  country  in  those  early 
times  abounded ;  though  these  seemingly  early-day  pests,  in  many  re-  " 
speccs,  served  a  valuable  purpose  in  affording  almost  the  entire  supply  of 
meat  to  the  settlers.  In  common  with  the  experience  of  all  frontiersmen 
in  the  settlement  of  a  now  country,  the  early  settlers  were  subjected  to 
many  hardships  and  privations,  and  often  the  most  heroic  fortitude  was 
required  to  overcome  the  seeming  insurmountable  obstacles.  The  prod- 
ucts from  the  miniature  improvement  in  the  clearing,  and  the  game  that 
was  secured  by  the  ever-trusted  rifle,  afforded  subsistence  for  the  family. 

The  spinning-wheel  and  the  loom  supplied  the  cloth  for  clothing  and 
household  purposes,  save,  however,  where  the  prepared  deer-skin  and  the 
furs  from  the  mr-bearing  animals  were  brought  into  use.  Luxuries  in 
those  early  days  were  obtained  at  a  great  cost,  and  many  times  at  no 
small  sacrifice.  Groceries  and  the  most  common  kinds  of  merchandise 
were  catalogued  as  extras,  and  only  to  be  indulged  in  sparingly.  In  the 
first  days  of  Cass  Township  the  nearest  trading  points  of  any  prominence 
were  Chicago,  Michigan  City  and  Logansport.  To  these  places  grain  was 
hauled  and  produce  taken  under  the  most  trying  circumstances,  and  at 
prices  so  insignificant  that  the  farmer  of  to-day  would  not  consider  them 
of  sufficient  magnitude  for  the  mere  transportation  over  the  best  roads. 
In  the  face  of  all  these  impediments  to  be  surmounted,  there  was  real  and 
unalloyed  happiness  to  be  found  in  the  pioneer's  cabin.  In  those  primi- 
tive days,  their  wants  were  of  the  most  simple,  and  wholly  in  keeping  with 
their  surroundings.  Society  knew  no  castes  or  factions,  and  the  only 
recommendation  needed  to  obtain  a  membership  was  good  character  ;  and 
even  the  want  of  this  was  not  always  taken  into  consideration.  For  the 
young  men  and  the  young  women  to  attend  church  bare-footed  was  not 
considered  a  disgrace,  and  for  the  whole  families  to  eat,  sleep  and  live  in 
one  room  was  the  rule,  and  to  be  in  the  enjoyment  of  more  than  this  was 
the  exception. 

In  the  early  times  of  Cass  Township,  huckleberries  formed  one  of  the 
greatest  productions,  and  from  means  obtained  by  selling  this  production 
were  taxes  on  lands  paid. 

First  Birth. — It  is  not  distinctly  remembered  who  was  the  first  per- 
son born  in  Cass  Township,  but  George  Vandeventer,  a  son  of  Christopher 
and  Elizabeth  Vandeventer,  was  one  of  the  first  white  children  born  within 
the  limits  of  the  township. 

Marriage. — In  the  fall  of  1840,  occurred  one  of  the  first  marriages 
that  took  place  in  the  township.  Andrew  Hamilton  and  a  Miss  Beechum 
were  the  contracting  parties. 

Township  Creation. — From  the  formation  of  Liberty  Township  in 
1837,  until  the  creation  of  Cass  in  1848,  all  the  territory  now  inclosed 


206  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

by  the  boundary  lines  of  the  township  last  mentioned  remained  attached 
to  Liberty  for  election  purposes.  On  the  7th  of  June,  1848,  it  was 
ordered  by  the  County  Commissioners  that  all  that  portion  of  Liberty 
Township  contained  in  Congressional  Township  28  north,  of  Range  2 
west,  be  declared  a  political  township,  and  receive  the  name  of  Cass. 
Just  why  this  township  was  distinguished  as  Cass  is  not  clearly  known. 
Some  suppose  that  it  received  its  name  from  the  number  of  cast-iron 
plows  used  in  the  township  at  that  time ;  others  affirm  that  it  was  given 
this  distinction  on  the  account  of  bordering  on  Cass  County,  and  still 
there  is  a  third  class  who  declare  that  the  township  was  so  called  in  honor 
of  Senator  Cass,  of  Michigan,  at  that  time  prominent  in  State  and  Na- 
tional politics. 

Cass  Township  is  the  northeast  township  in  White  County,  is  six  miles 
square,  and  contains  23,040  acres,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Pulaski  County,  east  by  Cass  County,  south  by  Jackson  Township,  and 
west  by  Liberty. 

It  was  further  ordered  by  the  board,  that  the  place  of  holding  elections 
in  the  township  be  at  the  house  of  Daniel  Yount,  and  Albert  Bacon  was 
appointed  Election  Inspector  for  the  year  1848.  For  several  years,  the 
elections  in  the  township  were  held  at  private  houses. 

Educational  Groivih  and  Interest. — The  first  school  in  the  township 
was  taught  in  a  round  log  cabin  that  stood  on  the  northeast  quarter  of 
the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  6.  The  first  term  of  school  was  taught 
during  the  winter  of  1848-49,  Samuel  Gruell,  teacher.  Mrs.  Anna 
McBeth  taught  a  summer  term  there  in  1849.  To  this  school,  Christopher 
Vandeventer  sent  five  pupils,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Horim,  four;  Daniel 
Germberlinger,  two ;  Tavner  Reams,  two ;  William  McBeth,  two ;  Peter 
Prough,  two  ;  John  Baker,  of  Pulaski  County,  two  ;  Daniel  Yount,  two  ; 
Albert  Bacon,  three.  The  second  school  was  taught  by  Mrs  McBeth  in 
a  round  log  house  that  stood  on  the  land  of  William  McBeth,  on  the  south- 
east quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  6,  This  term  was  taught 
during  the  winter  of  1849-50,  and  was  attended  by  about  twenty  pupils. 
Mrs.  McBeth  was  a  lady  of  great  intelligence,  and  possessed  the  natural 
qualifications  for  an  early-day  instructor,  and  therefore  was  a  successful 
teacher  in  the  first  schools  of  Cass  Township. 

The  first  schoolhouse  in  the  township  was  erected  about  the  year  1850, 
on  the  northeast  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  8.  This  was  a 
hewed  log  structure,  22x26  feet,  and  was  considered  a  great  improvement 
over  the  houses  that  had  been  the  first  schoolbuildings  in  the  township. 
William  McBeth,  Alvin  Hall,  Milton  Dexter,  Walter  Hopkins  and  James 
Potter  were  some  of  the  first  teachers  who  taught  in  this  house.  What  is 
known  as  King's  Schoolhouse,  on  Section  6,  was  built  about  1853,  and  about 


CASS   TOWNSHIP.  207 

1857  two  frame  schoolhouses  were  erected,  one  on  the  northeast  quarter 
of  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  7,  and  the  other  near  the  center  of 
Section  9.  The  township  now  has  eight  frame  schoolhouses,  the  last  one 
having  been  built  in  1882.  The  teachers  for  the  schools  during  the  cur- 
rent school  year  are  :is  follows  :  Samuel  Calhiway,  Reid's  ;  W.  B.  Wiley, 
King's  ;  Anna  Rathform,  Popcorn  ;  Laura  Guthrie,  Union  ;  EfFa  Guthrie, 
Wickersham  ;  James  Mills,  White  Oak  ;  Leonidas  Rizer,  Fairfield  ;  Adda 
Murry,  at  the  new  schoolhouse.  There  were  218  pupils  admitted  to  the 
schools  in  the  township  last  year.  The  round  log  cabin, 'with  its  seats  of 
puncheon  and  total  inconvenience,  has  passed  into  oblivion,  and  in  its 
stead  appears  the  modern  schoolhouse  with  all  the  improvements  of  the 
day.  The  school  of  scarcely  a  score  of  scholars  in  1848,  has  been  ex- 
changed for  eight  schools  with  more  than  a  score  of  pupils  each.  From 
the  first  days  of  education  in  the  township,  the  advancement  has  been 
steady  and  marked,  and  to  day  there  is  presented  a  more  extended  system 
of  culture  and  civilization.  The  old-fashioned  spelling-schools  and  a 
singing-geography-school  were,  in  the  early  days,  well  patronized  by  the 
sturdy  young  pioneers  in  their  home-spun  suits,  and  the  lasses  in  their 
long-ago-day  "frocks."  The  amusements  at  an  early-time  spelling-match 
recess  or  a  singing-school  intermission,  are  yet  pleasant  reminders  of  the 
now  dead  past. 

Election. — At  an  election  held  in  the  township,  at  the  house  of 
Daniel  Yount,  on  the  first  Monday  in  August,  1849,  the  following  men 
voted:  John  Brooke,  Christopher  Vandeventer,  Jonathan  Reams,  David 
Vaublosicon,  James  Brooks,  John  Hildebrand,  Daniel  Yount,  Andrew 
Brooks,  Tavner  Reams,  Peter  Rowler,  E.  Yount,  Enos  Yount,  Albert 
Bacon.,  Alexander  Yount,  Wesley  Noland,  Henry  Daniels,  Jeremiah 
Pool,  George  Brooke  and  William  Poole.  Wesley  Noland  and  Alexander 
Yount,  Clerks  ;  Albert  Bacon,  Jeremiah  Pool  and  George  Brooke,  Judges 
of  this  election,  at  which  twenty-two  votes  were  cast.  The  returns  of  the 
first  election  held  in  the  township  could  not  be  found. 

1S51  Tax-Payers. — The  persons  who  paid  tax  on  land  owned  in 
Cass  Township,  thre?^  years  after  its  creation,  were  as  follows  :  Josiah 
Broadrick,  George  Brooke,  Eli  Bare,  James  Brooke,  Benjamin  Bare, 
Robert  Blackburn,  William  Bare,  John  Burkes,  Henry  Bare,  John  Bare, 
James  Bulla,  Albert  Bacon,  Thomas  Cadwallader,  John  Comer,  Daniel 
Diltz,  Robert  Daniels,  Elias  Downs,  Harvey  Daniels,  Archibald  Daniels, 
Samuel  Fries,  James  R.  Fowler,  Harvey  Headlee',  William  M.  Haskins, 
Walter  Haskins,  John  Hildebrand,  George  Reams,  William  King,  John 
Long,  G.  J.  Listee,  S.  Lassel,  William  Bath,  Thomas  McMillian, 
Ephraim  Millison,  Solomon  Mosso,  George  McConnell,  Wesley  Noland, 
Frederick  Ort,  John  Peters,  Edwin   Perry,  Jeremiah  Pool,  Asa  Perrigo, 


208  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

William  Pool,  Jonathan  Reams,  Tavner  Reams,  John  Rathbon,  Jerome 
Reams,  Zachariah  Beel,  Maxwell  Puse,  Charles  Reid,  Peter  Roller, 
Lemuel  Shoemaker,  A.  J.  Searight,  Samuel  L.  Stie,  Mary  Timmons, 
William  Timmons,  Michael  Williams,  Joshua  Williamson,  Nancy  Will- 
iamson, Ephraim  Woods,  James  Yanlon,  Christopher  Vandeventer,  Elias 
Vanaman,  Sr.,  Elias  Vanaman,  Jr.,  Daniel  Vanaman,  David  Vaublosi- 
con,  Daniel  Yount,  E.  Yount,  Enoch  Yount  and  Alexander  Yount. 

Land  Entries. — The  first  land  entered  in  the  township  was  by  Chris- 
topher Vandeventer,  on  the  1st  of  December,  1838,  and  then  followed 
other  entries,  as  follows :  Samuel  Burson,  December  3,  1838 ;  Joseph 
Smith,  December  17,  1838;  Leonard  Shoemaker,  July  30,  1839; 
Thomas  McMillian,  June  21,  1838  ;  Alexander  Searight,  Sr.,  June  7, 
1838 ;  Samuel  Long,  October  7,  1839  ;  Robert  Acre,  August  20,  1847  ; 
Elias  Vanaman,  August  30,  1848 ;  Jacob  Young,  October  24,  1849  ; 
Daniel  Vanaman,  August  30,  1848  ;  Thomas  Townsley,  April  1,  1844  ; 
John  Jaslen,  August  22,  1846  ;  James  R.  Fowler,  July  15,  1844 ;  Isaiah 
Broadrick,  February  20,  1845;  Ephraim  Millian,  February  20,1845; 
John  W.  Williamson,  August  8,  1843 ;  Samuel  Fry,  June  25,  1844 ; 
Albert  Bacon,  August  17,  1846;  Jacob  W.  Hunt,  February  2,  1846  ; 
John  Smith,  February  1,  1840;  Benjamin  Mattix,  November  27,  1847; 
Daniel  Yount,  September  24,  1842;  John  Lyman,  October  27,  1840; 
Tavner  Reams,  November  11,  1845;  William  McBeth,  March  27,  1844; 
Daniel  Vaublosicon,  August  12,  1843.  After  1845,  land  entries  and 
purchases  became  more  numerous  in  the  township. 

Drainage. — Cass  Township,  though  formerly  one  of  the  most  wet 
townships  in  the  county,  is  fast  becoming  drained.  The  following  are 
some  of  the  principal  ditches  in  the  township :  Read  No.  1,  Read  No. 
2,  Read,  Davis,  Leazenby,  Huffman,  Headlee  and  others  ;  Riggles,  and 
Robins  and  others.  Three  years  since  and  there  was  scarcely  a  public 
ditch  in  the  township ;  now  the  township  contains  sixty -four  miles  of 
public  drainage. 

Post  Office. — The  township  contains  one  post  office,  Headlee,  which 
was  established  about  fifteen  years  ago.  The  Postmasters  at  this  office 
served  in  the  following  order :  William  Osborn,  H.  Headlee,  F.  Reams 
and  N.  Ploss,  the  present  incumbent. 

First  Preacher  and  Church  Interests. — The  first  minister  in  the 
township  was  Rev.  Abraham  Sneathen,  the  old  pioneer  circuit  rider  of 
all  northern  White  County  and  southern  Pulaski  County.  The  old  vet- 
eran is  long  since  dead,  but  his  work  does  follow  him.  At  the  house  of 
Harvey  Headlee,  in  1851,  occurred  the  organization  of  the  first  religious 
society  in  the  township.  The  class  was  organized  by  Rev.  Casper,  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal   Church   at    Burnettsville.     The  following  are  the 


ROUND  GROVE   TOWNSHIP.  209 

names  of  the  first  members  :  Harvey  Ileadlee,  Margaret  Headlee,  Gar- 
etson  Lister,  Joan  Lister,  John  Wiley,  Mary  Wiley,  Silas  Ileadlee,  Jane 
Reams  and  John  Downs.  The  society  held  meeting  in  the  schoolhouse 
near  Harvey  Headlee's.  The  present  members  of  the  class  are  Silas 
Headlee,  Angeline  Headlee,  Harvey  Headlee,  Margaret  Headlee,  Isaac 
McCloud,  Mary  McCloud,  Edward  McCloud,  Emeline  McCloud.  J. 
Smith,  Caroline  Smith,  Rosa  Smith,  Mary  E.  Watts,  J.  Burbridge, 
Mary  Burbridge,  Joseph  Hanawalt,  Catharine  Hanawalt,  Anna  Grass- 
myer,  John  Clouse  and  wife,  Ruben  Clouse,  Sr.,  Mary  Clouse,  George 
McCloud,  Mary  McCloud,  Ruben  Clouse,  Jr.  Rev.  Hall,  of  the  Bur- 
nettsville  Circuit,  is  the  present  minister.  The  following  are  the  minis- 
ters that  have  preached  to  the  organization  since  1851:  Revs.  Casper, 
Parsels,  D,  Dunham,  William  Beckner,  Rogers,  William  Reader,  P.  J. 
Bessuier,  W.  Hancock,  F.  Cox,  M.  H.  Wood,  A.  Comer,  L.  J.  Kohler, 
R.  H.  Landers,  J.  T.  Budd,  J.  W.  Warner,  C.  L.  Smith,  J.  W.  Price, 
L.  Armstrong,  A.  Thompson,  T.  H.  McKee,  J.  E.  Steel,  J.  M.  Jackson, 
J.  Brecount,  R.  H.  Calvert,  J.  R.  Ball  and  W.  Hall. 

The  first  Sabbath  school  in  the  township  was  organized  in  1851. 
John  Wiley  was  the  first  Superintendent,  and  Joseph  Hanawalt  is  the 
present  one. 


CHAPTER    XIIL 


BY    M.    T.    MATTHEWS. 


Round  Grove  Township — Its  Creation  and  Early  Inhabitants 
— Origin  of  the  Name — Land  Entries  and  Election  Returns 
— First  Events  of  Interest — Pine  Grove  Methodist  Church 
— The  First  Schoolhouse  and  Teacher — Post  Offices  and 
Statistics. 

FROM  the  time  of  the  formation  of  Prairie  Township  in  1834,  until 
the  founding  of  Round  Grove  Township  in  1858,  the  territory  now  em- 
braced by  the  boundary  lines  of  the  last-mentioned  township  remained  at- 
tached to  Prairie  Township  for  political  purposes,  but  a  petition  bearing 
the  names  of  a  majority  of  the  freehold  citizens  was  presented  to  the 
County  Commissioners  at  their  December  session  in  1858  praying  the 
creation  of  a  new  civil  township,  the  same  to  comprise  all  county  terri- 
tory west  of  the  middle  of  Range  5  west,  of  Congressional  Township  25 
north.  After  mature  consideration,  it  was  ordered  by  the  board,  that  the 
above-mentioned  territory  sh()uld  be  detached  from  Prairie  Township  and 


210  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

constitute  a  new  township.  Round  Grove  Township  contains  thirty-six 
Sections,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Princeton,  east  by  Prairie, 
south  by  Tippecanoe    County  and  on  the  west  by  Benton  County. 

The  creation  of  Round  Grove  Township  was  perfected  on  the  31st  of 
December,  1858,  and  it  was  further  ordered  by  the  board  that  at  the 
Round  Grove  Schoolhouse  an  election  should  be  held  on  the  first  Monday 
in  April,  1859,  and  Austin  Ward  was  appointed  Inspector  of  the  election. 

Round  Grove  Township  derived  its  name  from  a  beautiful  circular 
grove  that  occupies  a  picturesque  and  commanding  location  in  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  township.  The  grove  comprises  about  forty  acres  of 
different  kinds  of  timber  common  to  this  section  of  Indiana.  From  this 
grove,  the  first  settlers  obtained  the  logs  for  their  houses  and  their  wood  for 
fuel,  and   in  it  the  wild  animals    of  the  prairies  would  hide  themselves. 

Round  Grove  was  suggested  as  the  name  for  the  new  and  last  formed 
township  in  White  County,  by  Austin  Ward,  one  of  the  pioneers  and 
founders  of  the  township. 

Previous  to  the  formation  of  Round  Grove  Township  the  inhabitants 
in  the  territory  would  go  to  Brookston  to  vote  if  they  voted  at  all.  When 
an  election  was  to  be  attended  the  voters  would  go  on  horseback  or  in 
wagons.  Only  the  most  important  elections  were  attended  and  then  it 
was  as  much  for  frolic  and  social  intercourse  with  their  neighbors  as  for 
any  interest  of  a  political  nature. 

First  Settlement. — The  time  of  the  first  settlement  in  Round  Grove 
Township  was  in  the  spring  of  1850,  when  Truman  Rollins  removed  from 
Tippecanoe  County  to  the  township  and  commenced  for  himself  a  new 
home  on  the  wild  prairie.  The  Rollins  cabin  is  supposed  to  have  been 
the  first  house  or  building  of  any  kind  in  the  township,  and  this  humble 
domicile  was  rudely  constructed  of  round  logs,  and  in  dimensions  was  16x18 
feet.  The  logs  were  obtained  from  the  famous  Round  Grove.  This  rude 
mansion  was  reared  in  the  open  prairie  on  Section  11,  and  for  some  time 
it  was  the  only  bouse  for  miles  around.  Jeremiah  Stanly,  a  son-in-law 
of  Rollins,  came  into  the  township  at  the  same  time  and  for  a  period  lived 
in  the  Rollins  cabin,  but  afterward  erected  a  house  for  himself  a  short 
distance  from  the  township's  first  cabin.  Thomas  Rollins  also  came  into 
the  township  in  1850,  and  he,  too,  lived  for  a  time  in  the_^r«^  cabin.  In 
1852,  Stewart  Rariden  moved  into  the  township  from  Monroe  County, 
Ind.,  and  began  an  improvement  about  two  miles  south  of  Truman  Rol- 
lins. A  frame  house,  18x21  feet  was  erected  by  Mr.  Rariden,  and  this 
was  the  first  frame  house  in  Round  Grove  Township.  In  1853,  Austin 
Ward  came  into  the  township  from  Greene  County,  Ind.,  locating  on  Sec- 
tion 13,  and  in  the  same  year  came  Milton  W.  Weaver,  John  Carrol,  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Warner,  Edmond  Steely  and  Stephen  E.  Baker  and 


ROUND  GROVE  TOWNSHIP.  211 

made  settlement  in  the  township.  William  Buskirk  came  in  1850.  The 
following  are  among  other  old  pioneers  in  Round  Grove  Township  :  John 
Aper,  Nathan  Brown,  David  Campbell,  John  Haines,  Robert  Steen,  Will- 
liam  Stockton,  Richard  Moore,  Michael  T.  Buskirk,  John  Rollins,  John 
Langnecker,  Thomas  Raw,  Michael  Buskirk,  Samuel  Barcus,  Isaac  Smith 
and  John  Hues. 

The  first  settlers  in  Round  Grove  Township  were  not  confined  to  any 
particular  locality  or  district,  but  were  scattered,  and  the  distance  between 
improvements  was  usually  several  miles. 

The  experience  of  some  of  the  first  residents  of  Round  Grove  Town- 
ship, as  told  in  this  age,  is  full  of  interest  and  does  not  fail  to  engage  the 
attention  of  the  most  unconcerned.  But  there  was  a  sunny  as  well  as  a 
shadv  side  in  the  lives  of  those  early-day  settlers. 

At  the  time  of  the  first  settlement  in  Round  Grove  Township,  deer 
were  plenty,  numbered  only  as  the  snow  birds  ;  wolves  and  mink  were  very 
numerous  and  prairie  chickens  might  have  been  counted  by  thousands. 
Deer  and  chickens  were  used  extensively  for  food  by  the  early-day  inhab- 
itants. 

Land  Entries. — The  following  is  a  list  of  the  names  of  some  of  the 
persons  who  first  entered  land  in  Round  Grove  Township,  with  the  date 
when  the  entry  was  made  ;  Mary  Newton,  1848  ;  John  Roland,  1847  ; 
Edward  H.  Reynolds,  1848  ;  Newberry  Stockton,  1836  ;  Levi  Tolbey, 
1848 ;  Thomas  Burch,  1848  ;  Hariet  Lockwood,  1846  ;  Charles  L. 
Stockton,  1836 ;  Henry  L.  Ellsworth,  1836  ;  Jonathan  Burch,  1837 ; 
Martin  Bishop,  1849  ;  Thomas  Rollins,  1848  ;  John  White,  1835.  The 
first  land  entries  in  the  township  were  made  several  years  before  any 
settlement  had  been  effected. 

First  Elections. — The  first  election  held  in  Round  Grove  Township 
was  on  the  first  Monday  in  April,  1859,  the  following  men  voting:  John 
Larrabe,  Robert  McQueen,  Roger  Baker,  John  Apes,  Stephen  E.Baker, 
James  Carrol,  Thomas  Rountene,  Michael  T.  Buskirk,  Granville  Ward, 
Jeremiah  Stanly,  Stewart  Rariden,  John  Rolliris,  Austin  Ward,  Samuel 
Ballintyne  and  Milton  W.  Weaver.  Austin  Ward,  Inspector  ;  Stewart 
Rariden  and  John  Rollins,  Judges ;  Samuel  Ballintyne,  Clerk.  This  was 
a  township  election,  and  at  it  Samuel  Ballintyne  received  fifteen  votes  for 
Justice  of  the  Peace  ;  Stewart  Rariden  received  thirteen  votes  for  Con- 
stable and  Austin  Ward  received  one  vote  for  the  same  office.  Austin 
Ward  received  six  votes  for  Trustee,  and  Milton  Weaver  received  seven 
votes  for  the  same  office ;  Joseph  Harris  received  eight  votes  for  Super- 
visor, and  M.  V.  Buskirk  received  seven  votes  for  the  same  office.  Fifteen 
votes  were  cast  at  this  election. 

At  a  State  election  held  in  the  township  at  the  Round  Grove  School- 


212  HISTORY  OF  WHITE  COUNTY. 

house  on  the  second  Tuesday  in  October,  1860,  the  following  men  voted: 
William  Beck,  Thomas  Rollins,  Granville  Ward,  Isaiah  Bice,  Samuel 
Ballintyne,  Stephen  E.  Baker,  James  Carrol,  John  A.pes,  Edward  Steely, 
Robert  N.  Brink,  James  Martin,  L.  B.  Stockton,  William  H.  Martin, 
Patrick  Conner,  Stewart  Rariden,  Jeremiah  Stanly,  John  Demso,  Nim- 
rod  Leister,  M.  W.  Weaver,  Robert  McQueen,  Austin  Ward,  Michael 
T.  Buskirk,  Samuel  D.  Barnes  and  L.  W.  Wol.ramuth.  At  this  election, 
twenty-five  votes  were  cast. 

Births. — The  first  white  child  born  in  the  township  is  supposed  to 
have  been  Samuel  Rariden,  son  of  Stewart  and  Mary  Jane  Rariden; 
Nancy  Buskirk  was  born  about  the  same  time. 

Marriage. — The  first  persons  married  in  the  township  were  Francis 
Mullendore  and  Jane  Ward,  now  living  in  Monticello. 

Death. — The  first  person  who  died  in  Round  Grove  Township  was 
Truman  Rollins.  The  remains  were  interred  in  a  private  burying-ground 
in  Tippecanoe  County.  As  Mr.  Rollins,  was  the  first  settler  in  the  town- 
ship, so  also  was  he  the  first  deceased  person. 

Church. — The  only  church  in  Round  Grove  Township  is  the  Pine 
Grove  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  situated  about  a  mile  and  a  half  east 
of  Dern.  The  edifice  is  a  frame  36x45  feet,  and  was  erected  in  1880  at 
a  cost  of  $900.  Rev.  J.  C.  Martin,  C.  Stockton,  James  Bennett,  Isaac 
Smith,  Frank  Mitchner  and  Robert  Mays  were  some  of  the  principal 
movers  in  the  erection  of  this  church.  The  class  numbers  fifty  members. 
J.  C.  Martin  is  the  present  and  only  regular  minister  the  congregation 
has  had  since  the  building  of  the  church. 

Previous  to  the  erection  of  this  church,  the  class,  that  had  been  organ- 
ized about  fifteen  years,  held  services  in  a  schoolhouse.  Isaac  Smith  and 
wife,  Robert  Smith  and  wife,  John  Russel  and  wife,  George  Mitchner 
and  wife  and  Thomas  Guntrip  and  wife  were  the  founders  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  class  in  the  vicinity  in  which  the  church  has  been  erected. 
The  church  in  this  locality  is  a  credit  to  the  township,  to  the  neighbor- 
hood in  which  it  stands  and  to  the  enterprising  spirit  of  its  founders. 

Schools. — The  first  school  in  the  township  was  taught  in  what  has 
been  designated  as  the  Stanly  Schoolhouse,  which  was  a  frame  structure, 
16x18  feet,  erected  near  the  center  of  the  township  and  in  School  Dis- 
trict No.  1.  The  house  was  built  about  the  year  1857,  and  Elizabeth 
Ballintyne  was  the  first  teacher.  John  Canfield,  Francis  M.  Rogers  and 
Daniel  Campbell,  were  also  some  of  the  first  teachers  in  the  township. 
There  are  now  seven  frame  schoolhouses  in  Round  Grove  Township.  The 
last  one  was  built  in  1879. 

Post  Offices. — Round  Grove  Township  has  two  post  offices — one  at 
Round  Grove,  established  in  1879,  and  Jacob  Stotts  was  the  first  Post- 


is^r^^,^.      '^ 


cJ^aifj^   ^  C^y-fie^ 


THI  T^EW  YORK 


ROUND  GROVE  TOWNSHIP.  213 

master.  The  other  office  was  established  at  Dern  in  1881.  A.  J.  Dern 
was  the  first"  and  is  the  present  incumbent  at  the  Dern  office.  Mr.  Dern 
also  keeps  a  small  stock  of  drugs  and  groceries  and  is  the  township's  only 
physician.  Isaac  Wright  was  the  first  doctor  in  Round  Grove  Town- 
ship. 

Then  and  Noiv. — The  picture  that  Round  Grove  Township  pre: 
sented  at  its  first  settlement,  or  even  at  the  time  of  its  creation,  had  almost 
become  extinct,  only  a  few  traces  of  the  first  settlement  being  now  dis- 
cernible. The  humble  rude  domiciles  have,  in  the  majority  of  cases, 
been  exchanged  for  more  commodious  and  comfortable  houses  ;  the  pole 
stable  with  its  roof  of  grass  has  been  cast  away  for  something  better;  the 
roads  are  regularly  laid  out  ;  the  once  large  farms  have  been  divided  and 
subdivided,  until  now  they  come  within  better  range  for  improvement  and 
cultivation;  the  wild  prairie  grass  in  many  instances  has  been  exchanged 
for  cultivated  grasses.  The  harmless  deer  and  the  ravenous  wolf  no  longer 
roam  the  wild  prairies,  and  even  the  inhabitants  themselves  have  changed. 
The  pioneers  of  Round  Grove  Township,  who  were  once  robust  and  strong, 
are  now  beading  with  age  and  the  care  and  toil  of  many  years,  and  now 
the  evening  of  their  lives  is  fast  nearing  its  close,  and  erelong  they  will 
lay  themselves  down  ''  within  that  tent,  whose  curtain  never  outward 
swings." 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 


CITY   OF   MONTICELLO. 

GEORGE  BOWMAN  was  born  February  28,  1819,  in  Berkeley 
County,  Va.,  and  is  one  of  two  surviving  children  in  a  family  of 
seven  born  to  George  and  Elizabeth  (Potts)  Bowman,  both  natives  of  the 
Old  Dominion,  and  of  German  and  Irish  descent  respectively.  When 
yet  a  mere  lad,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  left  alone  by  the  death  of 
his  parents,  and  his  earlier  years  were  passed  on  a  farm  and  clerking  in 
a  store.  Having  relatives  in  Indiana,  he  came  to  this  State  in  1840  and 
located  at  Delphi,  where  for  about  eight  years  he  was  engaged  in  teach- 
ing, and  attending  school  at  Asbury  University  and  Wabash  College, 
graduating  from  the  classical  course  of  the  latter  in  1853.  He  married 
Miss  Ruth  Angel  in  1848,  and  the  same  year  he  removed  to  White 
County  and  engaged  exclusively  in  teaching.  In  1850,  his  wife  died, 
succeeding  which  he  returned  to  Delphi,  where  for  the  following  eight 
years  he  was  employed  as  Principal  of  the  Delphi  Schools;  in  1858,  he 
married  Miss  Mary  D.  Piper,  and  the  fall  of  that  ^ear  returned  to  White 
County  and  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  in  southern 
Union  Township.  In  1861,  he  moved  to  Monticello,  to  take  charge  of 
the  public  schools,  continuing  as  Principal  until  the  summer  of  1862, 
when  he  resigned  in  order  to  raise  a  company  for  the  war.  In  August, 
the  company  was  mustered  in  as  Company  D,  Mr.  Bowman  being  elected 
Captain,  and  assigned  to  the  Twelfth  Indiana  Volunteers.  At  Richmond, 
Ky.,  Capt.  Bowman,  with  the  majority  of  his  command,  and  many  other 
Union  troops,  was  captured,  and,  being  paroled,  did  not  again  see  active 
service  until  in  and  around  Vicksburg,  after  which  he  participated  in  the 
capture  of  Jackson,  at  which  place  he  was  slightly  wounded.  On  the 
evening  of  November  25,  while  leading  his  company  on  a  charge  up 
Missionary  Ridge,  Capt.  Bowman  was  wounded  severely  in  the  left  thigh, 
and  was  carried  off  the  field  as  dead.  After  being  in  the  hospital  at 
Nashville  about  two  weeks,  he  was  sufficiently  recovered  to  come  home  on 
a  furlough.  On  a  surgical  examination,  he  was  pronounced  unfit  for 
further  military  duty,  and  accordingly  was  honorably  discharged  March 


216  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

30,  1864.  In  1865,  he  went  to  Delphi,  where  he  remained  until  1871, 
acting  as  Principal  of  the  schools  of  that  place,  and  farming.  Since  that 
time  he  has  lived  in  White  County,  and  is  now  farming  and  teaching. 
Mr.  Bowman  was  formerly  a  Whig,  is  now  a  Republican,  and  from  187-3 
to  1881,  served  White  County  as  School  Superintendent.  He  and  wife 
are  Presbyterians,  and  the  parents  of  seven  children — Phebe  M.  E., 
Anna,  Rebecca  L.  (deceased),  Georgia  E.,  Caleb  M.,  Margaret  (deceased), 
and  Caroline  (deceased).  To  Mr.  Bowman's  first  marriage  was  born  one 
daughter,  Ruth  A.,  now  Mrs.  E.  Black. 

JOHN  F.  CASAD,  deceased,  was  born  in  Greene  County,  Ohio, 
April  24,  1839,  and  when  two  years  of  age  was  brought  by  his  parents, 
Samuel  and  Mary  (Artz)  Casad,  to  Carroll  County,  Ind.,  and  there 
reared  to  manhood.  At  his  majority,  he  chose  farming  as  the  business  of 
his  life,  and  followed  it  for  nine  years  in  Tippecanoe  County.  October 
24,  1861,  he  married  Miss  Catharine  A.  Kauffman,  who  was  born  in 
Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  January  5,  1840,  and  was  one  of  the  seven  children 
of  John  and  Margaret  Kauffman,  who  were  of  German  descent.  In 
1869,  Mr.  Casad  moved  to  Bloomington,  Ind.,  and  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising. In  1873,  he  removed  to  Norway,  where  he  was  employed  in 
merchandising  until  his  death  from  typhoid  fever,  August  19,  1877. 
Mr.  Casad  was  an  industrious  citizen,  a  warm  supporter  of  temperance 
principles,  and  in  politics  a  Republican.  He  was  a  member  of  the  I.  0. 
0.  F.,  by  which  order  his  remains  were  borne  to  their  resting  place  in 
the  family  burying  ground,  near  the  old  home  in  Carroll  County.  He 
left  behind  him  a  widow  and  four  children — Eva  M.,  Ida  B.,  Frank  W. 
and  John  H.,  all  of  whom  reside  now  in  Monticelio. 

ROBERT  J.  CLARK,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  La  Fayette,  Ind.,  May  24, 
1844,  and  is  one  of  nine  children,  six  yet  living,  born  to  Dr.  Othiniel 
L.  and  Charille  (Durkee)  Clark,  natives  of  Virginia  and  New  York.  Dr. 
0.  L.  Clark  came  to  La  Fayette  when  a  young  man  in  about  1825,  entered 
upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  acted  as  agent  for  the  county  in 
the  sale  of  town  lots  for  the  county  seat.  He  was  active  in  politics,  was 
elected  to  the  State  Legislature,  and  then  to  the  Senate,  and  served  in 
both  many  years ;  he  was  also  a  member  of  the  State  Constitutional  Con- 
vention of  1852,  as  was  also  his  brother.  Dr.  H.  W.  Clark,  of  Hamilton 
County.  Dr.  0.  L.  Clark  was  well  known  to  the  people  of  the  State 
outside  of  his  county,  and  his  name  was  on  a  par  with  those  of  Oliver  P. 
Morton,  Schuyler  Colfax,  Caleb  Smith,  Albert  L.  White  and  others. 
He  was  an  Old-Line  Whig  and  then  a  Republican  until  Johnson's  admin- 
istration, when  he  became  an  advocate  of  the  reconstruction  acts,  and 
remained  a  Democrat  until  his  death,  December  29,  1866,  at  La  Fayette, 
where  his  widow  still  survives  him.     He   was    Indian   Agent  in   Miami 


CITY  OF  MONTICELLO.  217 

County  for  many  years,  and  was  also  appointed  Postmaster  at  La  Fayette 
by  President  Lincoln,  but  declined  the  office.  Dr.  Robert  J.  Clark  re- 
ceived his  literary  education  at  the  schools  of  La  Fayette  and  at  Notre 
Dame  University.  Li  March,  1863,  he  enlisted  in  the  Twenty-second  In- 
diana Light  Artillery ;  he  was  in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  afterward 
with  Gen.  Thomas  in  Hood's  campaign  in  Tennessee.  He  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  North  Carolina,  where  he  remained  till  Johnston's  surrender,  and 
was  finally  discharged  at  Indianapolis,  July  7,  1865.  He  began  the 
study  of  medicine  in  1867,  in  the  office  of  Dr.  W.  S.  Hammond,  at  Mon- 
ticello  ;  attended  two  terms  of  the  Ohio  Medical  College  at  Cincinnati, 
and  was  one  of  the  six  graduates  who  were  examined  and  selected  from 
about  thirty  to  serve  as  resident  physicians  of  Cincinnati  Hospital  from 
1870  to  1871.  He  then  returned  to  Monticello,  and  became  a  partner 
of  his  preceptor,  but  since  1872  he  has  been  alone.  He  was  married  in 
July,  1871,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Reynolds,  who  has  borne  him  two  chil- 
dren— Cornelia  R.  and  Frederick  G.  Dr.  Clark  is  a  Democrat  and  a 
member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church. 

SAM  P.  COWGER,  County  Clerk,  was  born  in  Union  Township, 
this  county,  February  29,  1844.  His  father,  Jacob  Cowger,  was  born  in 
Pendleton  County,  Va.,  June  2,  1814.  He  was  married,  August  20, 
1834,  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Bolton,  also  a  native  of  Pendleton  County,  and 
born  February  19,  1815.  Four  weeks  after  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C. 
came  to  this  county,  it  being  then  in  its  state  of  nature.  Here  there 
were  six  children  born  to  them — Ann  E.  (deceased),  M.  R.,  Ruth  A., 
Sam  P.,  M.  W.  and  J.  B.  Mr.  Cowger  died  May  18,  1877  ;  his  widow- 
survives  and  resides  in  Monticello.  Sam  P.  Cowger,  from  about  1862 
until  1870,  was  chiefly  engaged  at  clerking  in  Monticello.  In  April  of 
the  latter  year,  he  entered  the  County  Clerk's  office,  and  a  year  later  was 
appointed  Deputy.  In  1874,  he  was  candidate  for  County  Clerk  on 
the  Democratic  ticket,  but  was  defeated;  the  next  three  years  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  business,  during  which  time  he  served  one  year  as 
Town  Councilman  and  one  year  as  Town  Clerk.  In  1878,  he  again  be- 
came candidate  for  County  Clerk,  and  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  117, 
and  in  November,  1882,  re-elected  by  a  majority  of  483.  Mr.  C  is  still 
a  Democrat,  and  a  Knight  of  Pythias.  Ho  was  married,  Marcii,  19,  1873, 
to  Miss  Alice  J.  Lear,  daughter  of  John  H.  Lear,  of  Monticello.  Two 
children  were  born  to  this  union — Norma  L.  (deceased),  and  Raeburn. 

W.  P.  CROWELL  was  born  in  Grant  County,  Ind.,  May  22,  1842, 
and  of  the  eight  children  born  to  his  parents,  John  and  Susannah  (Wins- 
low)  Crowell,  only  three  sons  and  one  daughter  are  now  living.  The 
Crowell  family  is  of  English  origin,  and  their  genealogy  is  traced  back 


218  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

six  generations  to  Oliver  Cromwell.  They  then  bore  the  name  of  Crom- 
well, but,  owing  to  the  odium  connected  therewith,  dropped  the  "m"  in 
the  name  in  this  country.  For  over  200  years,  members  of  this  family 
resided  in  North  Carolina,  where  there  is  a  town  named  in  their  honor, 
and  they  were  widely  known  as  large  plantation  and  slave  owners.  On 
his  removal  North,  John  Crowell  located  in  Grant  County,  engaged  in 
farming,  and  died  in  1857.  Mrs.  Crowell  is  yet  living,  and  resides  in 
St.  Joseph,  Mich.  W.  P.  Crowell,  until  sixteen  years  old,  remained 
in  his  native  county,  receiving  a  good  district  school  education.  He 
began  the  study  of  medicine,  but  owing  to  ill-health  was  compelled  to 
relinquish  this,  substituting  dentistry  in  its  stead.  April  27,  1861^ 
directly  after  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Twelfth 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry ;  participated  in  the  battle  of  Winchester  and 
various  skirmishes,  and  was  discharged  in  June,  1862,  on  the  expiration 
of  his  term  of  service.  Dr.  Crowell  then  formed  a  partnership  with  his 
cousin,  Dr.  Winslow,  in  the  practice  of  dentistry  at  Lewisville,  Henry 
County.  In  1863,  he  opened  an  office  alone  in  Tipton,  where  he  was 
doing  a  good  business,  when,  on  the  President's  last  call  for  troops  in 
1864,  he  began  recruiting  what  afterward  became  Company  K,  One 
Hundred  and  Fifty -third  Indiana  Volunteers,  and  was  commissioned 
Second  Lieutenant,  afterward  being  promoted  to  the  First  Lieutenancy. 
The  spring  of  1865,  he  was  appointed  Aide-de-Camp  on  Col.  Carey's 
staff  of  the  First  Brigade,  Second  Division,  Twenty-third  Army  Corps 
under  Gen.  Burnside.  After  the  close  of  the  war.  Dr.  Crowell  returned 
to  Indiana,  and  in  1867  recommenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  at 
Delphi,  in  partnership  with  Dr.  Jourdan,  but  in  1869,  the  last  year  of  his 
stay  there,  he  opened  a  branch  office  in  Attica.  In  1869,  he  practiced  in 
Logansport  with  Dr.  Budd  as  a  partner,  and  the  same  year  opened  a 
branch  office  in  Monticello,  to  which  place  he  removed  in  1871.  He  has 
remained  here  ever  since,  and  his  superior  workmanship  has  established 
him  a  first-class  business.  He  is  a  Freemason,  a  Republican,  and  was 
married  August  16,  1872,  to  Miss  C.  L.  McDonald,  of  Delphi,  their  union 
being  blessed  with  three  children — Luella,  Jesse  W.  and  William  R. 

D.  D.  DALE  was  born  in  Jackson  Township,  this  county.  May  13, 
1836,  and  is  the  son  of  William  R.  and  Prudence  (Harlan)  Dale,  who 
were  natives  of  Ohio,  and  of  English  and  Irish  descent.  William  R. 
Dale  was  married  in  Ohio  in  1834,  and  in  1835  he  and  wife  and  his 
father  and  family  located  in  Jackson  Township,  this  county.  There 
William  R.  and  Prudence  died  in  1844  and  1862.  William  R.  was  the 
first  candidate  in  the  county  for  the  office  of  Clerk  on  the  Democratic 
ticket,  but  was  defeated  by  William  Sill,  Whig.  A  remarkable  circum- 
stance, however,  was  that  which  occurred   in  1867,  when  his  son,  D,  D 


CITY  OF  MONTICELLO.  21^ 

Dale,  defeated  Mr.  Sill's  son,  M.  M.  Sill,  for  the  same  office.  July  22, 
1861,  Daniel  D.  Dale  enlisted  as  private  in  Company  K,  Twentieth 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  but  on  the  organization  of  the  company  was 
elected  Second  Lieutenant.  He  served  until  August,  1862,  when  he 
resigned,  because  of  injuries  received  in  the  seven  days'  fight  before 
Richmond.  On  his  return  home,  he  entered  the  County  Clerk's  office  as 
Deputy ;  was  then  for  a  time  in  partnership  with  J.  H.  McCollum  in  the 
dry  goods  trade,  and  in  1867  was  elected  County  Clerk,  and  re-elected, 
his  last  term  expiring  in  1875  ;  he  then  for  a  time  was  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  woolen  goods,  but  for  the  past  few  years  has  confined  his 
attention  to  the  practice  of  law.  He  was  married,  in  June,  1864,  to  Miss 
Ophelia  Reynolds,  daughter  of  Isaac  Reynolds,  and  to  this  union  have 
been  born  four  children — Charles  H.,  George  R.,  Bertha  M.  and  Ida  M. 
Mr.  Dale  is  a  Mason  and  a  Democrat,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian^  Church.  His  grandfather,  Daniel  Dale,  who  was  very 
prominent  in  the  aifairs  of  this  county,  died  in  1874,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
four. 

DR.  M.  T.  DIDLAKE,  Treasurer  of  White  County,  is  a  native  of 
Clark  County,  Ky.;  was  born  March  29,  1844,  and  is  the  son  of  Ed- 
mund H.  and  Mildred  G.  (Woodford)  Didlake.  The  father  was  born  in 
Clark  County  April  27,  1798,  and  died  in  Bloomington,  111.,  August 
28,  1875 ;  the  mother  was  born  July  19,  1807,  and  died  February  12, 
1864.  The  family  moved  to  Bloomington  about  the  year  1851,  and 
there  our  subject  was  reared.  He  finished  his  literary  education  with 
two  years  at  the  Wesleyan  University,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  began 
the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  C.  R.  Parke,  and  the  winter  of  1865-66 
attended  the  Chicago  Medical  College,  and  the  next  winter  graduated. 
His  first  practice  was  in  Augusta,  Ark.,  but  at  the  end  of  eighteen 
months  he  removed  to  Stanford,  111.,  where  he  practiced  three  years.  In 
1871,  he  located  at  Wolcott,  this  county.  In  October,  1880,  he  was 
elected  Treasurer  of  the  county,  taking  possession  of  the  office  in  Sep- 
tember, 1881,  and  in  the  fall  of  1882  he  was  re-elected.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  December,  1880,  to  Miss  Litta  H.  Johnson,  of  Bloomington.  111., 
who  has  borne  him  one  child,  Roy  P.  The  Doctor  is  a  Democrat,  and 
a  Sir  Knight  of  St.  John  Commandery,  No.  24,  at  Logansport. 

PETER  R.  FAILING  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  N.  Y.,  Novem- 
ber 19,  1825,  and  is  the  eldest  of  three  children  born  to  Peter  and  Re- 
becca (Bullard)  Failing,  natives  respectively  of  New  York  and  Vermont, 
and  of  German  and  Scotch  descent.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  Peter 
Failing  enlisted  and  served  through  the  war  of  1812  under  Gen.  Scott. 
He  was  a  farmer,  but  from  1843  to  1847  was  employed  as  track-master 
on  the  New  York   Central  Railroad  between  Lyons  and  Syracuse,  and 


220  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

from  1847  to  1850  was  track-master  on  the  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan 
Southern  road  between  Hillsdale  and  Monroe,  Mich.  In  1847,  he  took 
possession  of  a  farm  in  Hillsdale  County,  Mich.,  he  had  purchased  in 
1837,  and  there  died  in  September,  1850,  from  injuries  received  on  the 
railroad.  Peter  R.  Failing  worked  on  the  home  farm  until  eighteen 
years  old,  and  was  then  employed  alternately  on  the  Lake  Shore  &  Mich- 
igan Southern  road  and  the  farm  for  several  years.  •  In  1851  and  1852, 
he  graded  the  railroad  between  Elkhart  and  Goshen,  Ind.  In  1852,  he 
moved  to  Michigan  City,  and  the  same  year  changed  to  La  Fayette,  being 
employed  at  both  points  by  the  N.  A.  &  S.  R.  R.  In  1853,  he  came  to 
White  County,  and  acted  as  general  superintendent  of  the  grading  of 
the  T.,  L.  &  B.  R.  R.,  between  Logansport  and  Reynolds.  In  the  spring 
of  1854,  he  was  employed  at  Nauvoo,  111.,  by  the  W.  &  R.  Railroad 
Company,  and  in  1856  he  returned  to  Monticello  and  engaged  in  the 
dry  goods  trade  with  his  father-in-law,  Roland  Hughes.  In  the  winter 
of  1859,  he  opened  a  general  store  on  his  own  account,  and  in  1866  he 
opened  a  hotel  and  livery  stable.  During  the  interval  between  1859  and 
1866,  however,  he  graded  the  T.,  L.  &  B.  R.  R.,  between  Monticello  and 
Burnettsville.  In  1869,  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  employed 
as  foreman  on  the  I.  M.  &  St.  L.  road,  and  in  December,  1875,  came 
back  to  Monticello,  and  was  employed  on  the  I.,  B.  &  W.  and  the  I.,  D. 
&  C.  Railways  until  1880,  when  he  again  opened  his  hotel.  February 
22,  1854,  he  married  Mary  Hughes,  who  has  borne  him  six  children, 
of  whom  four  are  still  living.  Mr.  Failing  is  a  Freemason  and  a  Dem- 
ocrat. 

WILLIAM  GUTHRIE  was  born  in  Hamilton,  Ohio,  January  20, 
185£.  Dr.  William  Guthrie,  his  father,  was  a  regular  graduate  of  the 
Ohio  Medical  College,  and  was  twice  married,  his  last  wife,  Elizabeth 
Traber,  being  the  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Mrs.  Guthrie 
died  in  1854,  and  Dr.  Guthrie,  with  the  remainder  of  the  family,  moved 
to  Indiana  in  1860,  and  settled  at  Rockfield,  Carroll  County.  He  next 
removed  to  what  is  now  Idaville,  White  County,  on  the  10th  of  January, 
1861,  and  was  the  first  physician  of  that  place.  He  remained  there  in 
active  practice  until  he  came  to  Monticello  on  the  7th  of  April,  1870  ; 
but  September  16,  1872.  he  returned  to  Idaville.  In  1882,  he  went  to 
Indianapolis,  where  he  now  resides,  retired  from  active  business.  Will- 
iam Guthrie  lived  with  his  father  until  he  attained  his  majority,  attend- 
ing the  district  schools  in  his  earlier  years,  subsequently  entering  the 
high  school  at  Idaville,  where  he  paid  his  tuition  by  his  services  as  jani- 
tor. After  this,  he  attended  school  one  year  at  Monticello  and  one  year 
at  Logansport.  The  winter  of  1870,  he  began  his  career  as  a  school 
teacher,  and  altogether  has  taught  a   total  of  eleven   terms,  two  years  of 


THI  NEW  YORK 


71L»MH  FOUHDAllQS 


,  C^/^^-c^ 


CITY  OF  MONTICELLO.  223 

his  time  serving  as  Principal  of  the  Idaville  Schools.  He  commenced 
the  study  of  medicine  at  one  time,  but  after  reading  a  year  and  a  half 
with  his  father,  his  dislike  for  the  profession  induced  him  to  substitute 
law  in  its  stead,  and,  in  1870,  he  entered  the  law  ofi&ce  of  Judge  J.  H. 
Matlock.  He  steadily  pursued  his  studies  a  year  and  a  half,  subsequent- 
ly at  intervals  until  August,  1880,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
W.  S.  Bushnell,  a  graduate  of  Asbury  LFniversity,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Guthrie  &  Bushnell,  and  this  has  continued  to  the  present.  Mr. 
Guthrie  is  among  the  wide-awake  men  of  Monticello,  is  liberal  in  his 
views  on  all  subjects,  and,  in  June,  1881,  he  was  elected  Superintendent 
of  the  schools  of  White  County,  in  which  capacity  he  is  now  serving. 

R.  L.  HARVEY,  County  Recorder,  is  a  native  of  Orange  County, 
Vt.,  and  was  born  December  14,  1824,  His  father,  whom  he  was  named 
after,  was  also  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  was  a  minister  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  He  married  Mrs.  Sarah  (Farr)  Corlis,  a  widow  with 
one  child,  and  to  his  marriage  were  born  ten  children,  of  whom  four  are 
yet  living.  In  1847,  the  family  removed  to  Logan  County,  Ohio,  and 
thence  to  Warren  County,  in  about  1848,  where  the  mother  died  in  1849. 
Several  years  later  the  father  married  Mrs.  Chloe  Thompson,  who  is  still 
living.  Mr.  Harvey  died  in  Preble  County,  Ohio,  in  January,  1876. 
R.  L.  Harvey,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  in  his  native  State, 
secured  a  fair  education  at  the  common  schools,  and  when  about  fourteen 
years  of  age  shipped  before  the  mast,  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  remaining 
about  eight  months.  He  afterward  entered  the  United  States  Navy,  but, 
being  young,  was  discharged  on  application  of  his  father.  In  1815,  he 
followed  his  parents  to  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1846,  preceded  them  to 
Ohio,  and  in  the  winter  of  that  year  taught  his  first  school  in  Clark 
County.  He  was  principally  engaged  in  teaching  until  1860,  when  he 
came  to  this  county.  July  17,  1861,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company 
K,  Twentieth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  On  the  organization  of  the 
company,  he  was  chosen  Sergeant  and  was  immediately  sent  to  the  front. 
He  took  part  in  a  number  of  skirmishes  and  engagements,  including  the 
seven  days'  fight  in  front  of  Richmond.  His  health  failing,  he  was  dis- 
charged December  5,  1862,  but,  recovering  somewhat,  he  again  enlisted, 
April  13, 1863,  and  was  enrolled  as  a  private  in  Company  G,  Sixty-third 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  on  detached  duty  one  year  in  the 
Provost  Marshal's  office  at  Indianapolis,  and  in  the  spring  of  1864,  while 
on  his  way  to  I'ejoin  his  regiment  at  Ball's  Gap,  Tenn.,  was  seized  with 
typhoid  pneumonia.  He  was  a  week  with  his  regiment,  when  he  was 
transferred  to  the  hospital  at  Knoxville,  where,  after  his  recovery,  he 
served  on  detached  duty  until  his  final  discharge.  May  15,  1865.  On  his 
return  home  in  June,  1865,  he  entered  the  office  of  the  County   Clerk, 


224  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

with  whom  he  remained  four  years.  In  1869,  he  passed  nine  months  in 
Iowa.  For  five  years  succeeding  the  spring  of  1870,  he  was  employed  as 
Deputy  County  Auditor ;  he  was  elected  by  the  Republicans,  in  1874,  to 
the  office  of  County  Recorder,  entered  upon  his  duties  in  July,  1875, 
and  after  serving  four  years  was  re-elected  and  is  yet  filling  the  office. 
He  was  married,  in  1847,  to  Miss  Harriet  E.  Jackson,  and  to  this  union 
have  been  born  four  children — Melvina  J.  (deceased),  William  R.,  Vic- 
toria C,  and  Theodore  H.  (deceased).  Mr.  Harvey  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  0.  0.  F.,  the  0.  F.  Encampment,  the  K.  of  P.  and  also  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  He  is  a  Republican  and  a  temperance  man,  and 
has  assisted  in  the  interests  of  the  last-named  cause  in  organizing  in 
Monticello  the  body  known  as  the  "  Sovereigns  of  the  Red  Star." 

W.  J.  HUFF,  Postmaster  and  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Monticello 
Herald,  was  born  August  5,  1849,  in  La  Fayette,  Ind.  Judge  Samuel 
A.  Hufi",  his  father,  was  born  in  Greenville  District,  S.  C,  October  16, 
1811.  Judge  Huff  came  to  Indiana  with  his  parents,  Julius  and  Huldah 
(Mosely)  Huff,  in  1826,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  James  B,  Gardner,  of  Xenia,  Ohio,  to  learn  the  "  art  preserva- 
tive." After  remaining  with  Mr.  Gardner  two  years,  he  worked  one  year 
at  his  trade  in  the  office  of  the  Indiana  Agriculturist,  and  in  1830  went 
to  Indianapolis,  where  he  found  employment  in  the  office  of  the  State 
Printer  and  in  the  office  of  the  Indiana  Democrat.  In  1832,  he  removed 
to  La  Fayette,  worked  at  his  trade  three  years,  and  the  succeeding  two 
years  read  law,  having  access  to  the  libraries  of  Judge  Pettit  and  Rufus 
A.  Lockwood.  In  1837,  he  embarked  in  the  practice  of  his  chosen  pro- 
fession, and  since  that  time  has  made  his  home  in  La  Fayette,  and  has 
carried  on  the  active  prosecution  of  law  in  Tippecanoe  and  neighboring 
counties.  Judge  Huff  was  at  first  a  Whig,  but  in  1848  he  became  a  Free- 
Soiler,  and  was  a  member  of  the  National  Free-Soil  Convention  that  met 
in  Bufialo.  In  1852,  he  was  elected  Judge  of  the  Common  Pleas  Court, 
then  comprising  the  counties  of  Tippecanoe  and  White,  but  at  the  end  of 
one  year  and  a  half  resigned.  In  1854,  he  became  a  member  of  the 
People's  party,  and  two  years  later  a  Republican.  In  1860,  he  wa» 
chosen  as  a  Republican  Elector  from  Indiana,  and  cast  his  ballot  in  the 
Electoral  College  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  Judge  Hufi"  has  been  three  times 
married;  first  in  1837,  to  Mariam  Farmer,  who  died  in  1846,  leaving 
three  children,  one  yet  surviving.  In  1847,  he  married  a  sister  of  his 
former  wife,  Massie  Farmer,  who  died  in  1866,  leaving  one  son.  His  last 
wife,  Theodocia  Beaman,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1867,  is  yet  living, 
William  J.  Hufi"  is  the  only  son  of  his  father's  second  marriage.  He  was 
reared  in  the  city  of  La  Fayette,  acquiring  a  good  substantial  education. 
He  learned  the  printer's  profession  in  his  native  town,  where  for  one  year 


CITY  OF  MONTICELLO.  225 

and  a  half  he  published  the  Liliputlan.  While  traveling;  for  a  wholesale 
grocery  house  in  La  Fayette,  he  came  to  Monticello,  where,  in  1^570,  he 
purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  Monticello  Herald,  and  six  months  later 
became  sole  owner.  In  1874,  J.  B.  Van  Buskirk  became  a  partner,  and 
besides  the  duties  devolving  on  Mr.  Huff  in  connection  with 
the  paper,  he  has  the  duties  of  Postmaster  to  look  after,  having  been  ap- 
pointed to  this  position  in  1871.  He  was  married  April  1,  1874,  to  Miss 
Alice  Wright,  and  to  their  marriage  four  children  have  been  born — Edgar 
and  Florence,  living  ;  and  Samuel  A.,  and  an  infant  without  a  name,  de- 
ceased. 

CHARLES  W.  KENDALL,  deceased,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Monticello,  who  materially  assisted  in  the  growth  and  welfare  of  the 
place.  This  gentleman  was  descended  from  English  and  German  ances- 
tors; his  parents  were  John  and  Sarah  (Miller)  Kendall,  and  he  was  born 
February  15,  1815,  in  Reading,  Penn.  When  twelve  years  old,  he  went 
to  Philadelphia  to  live  with  an  uncle,  and  during  his  residence  there  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  the  city  and  assisted  in  his  uncle's  store, 
afterward  returning  to  his  old  home  at  Reading,  where  he  remained  until 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  In  1837,  he  emigrated  to  Indiana,  located  at 
Delphi,  where  for  three  years  he  was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  brother's 
store,  but  in  1840  he  came  to  what  was  then  a  very  small  village,  but  is 
now  the  county  seat  of  White  County.  He  purchased  a  general  store 
from  William  Sill,  the  first  settler  of  the  place,  and  for  seven  years  re- 
mained in  Monticello,  merchandising.  From  1847  to  1856,  he  and  two 
brothers,  Francis  G.  and  Robert  C,  were  in  partnership  at  Norway,  in 
carrying  on  a  general  store  and  operating  a  flouring  and  saw  mill,  but  in 
1856,  he  sold  out  and  returned  to  Monticello,  where  he  afterward  re-em- 
barked in  merchandising.  During  the  war,  he  was  Postmaster  at  Monti- 
cello, being  the  first  Republican  appointed  to  that  office.  For  about  two 
years  succeeding  his  resignation  as  Postmaster,  he  served  as  Deputy  Rev- 
enue Collector  for  White  County.  He  died  in  the  faith  of  the  Presby- 
terian religion,  August  29,  1875.  He  was  twice  married,  first  on  the 
29th  of  September,  1841,  to  Maria  M.  Spencer,  who  was  born  in  Perry 
County,  Ohio,  August  24,  1822.  This  lady  died  January  1,  1843,  leav- 
ing one  son,  George  S.,  now  a  resident  of  Covington,  Ky.  Mav  1.  1845, 
Mr.  Kendall  married  Mary  Eliza  Spencer,  who  is  yet  living  in  Monticello, 
To  their  union  were  born  six  children — Walter  R.,  Howard  C,  Maria 
(Mrs.  Hull)  Sallie  (Mrs.  A.  W.  Loughry),  Charles  and  May.  The 
mother  was  born  in  Perry  County.  Ohio,  August  2,  1821^,  and  came  with 
her  parents  to  White  County  in  1830. 

WALTER  R.  KENDALL  was  born  in  Monticello  March  1,  184(3. 
His  schooling  was  completed  with  a  two  years'  course  at  Wabash  College, 


226  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

since  when  he  has  been  engaged  in  clerking  and  merchandising  on  his 
own  responsibility,  and  at  present  is  doing  a  good  business  in  the  dry 
goods  and  clothing  line  in  Monticello.  He  is  a  Republican  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  April  28,  1870,  he  married  Miss  Mat- 
tie  E.  McConnell.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  children— Schuyler  0., 
Frederick  C.  and  Pearl  Dean . 

JOSEPH  V.  KENTON,  son  of  William,  and  grandson  of  Simon 
Kenton,  the  latter  a  renowned  Indian  fighter,  was  born  in  Logan  County, 
Ohio,  September  2,  1833,  and  is  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  ten  children — 
four  yet  living.  The  mother  was  Mary  A.,  daughter  of  Solomon  McCol- 
loch,  one  of  White  County's  pioneers.  William  Kenton,  when  young, 
received  an  appointment  as  cadet  to  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point, 
and  there  received  an  excellent  practical  education.  He  was  married  in 
Logan  County,  Ohio,  in  1832,  and  in  the  following  fall  came  to  this 
county  and  settled  in  Big  Creek  Township,  about  three  miles  from  where 
Monticello  now  stands.  In  1851,  he  moved  to  Honey  Creek  Township, 
where  he  died  April  30,  1869,  his  widow  following  July  3, 1881.  Joseph 
V.  Kenton  was  reared  to  manhood  in  this  county,  receiving  a  good  com- 
mon school  education.  In  1856,  he  went  to  California,  via  New  York 
and  Panama,  and  for  four  years  engaged  in  mining  there  and  in  Arizona. 
He  returned  in  1860,  and  in  August,  1861,  enlisted  in  Company  F, 
Twenty-seventh  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  took  part  in  the  fights 
at  Ball's  Bluff,  Winchester,  South  Mountain,  Antietam,  Cedar  Mountain, 
Chancellorsville,  second  Bull  Run  and  Grettysburg.  At  Antietam,  he 
was  slightly  wounded,  and  at  Gettysburg  was  struck  by  a  minie  ball, 
just  below  the  left  knee,  which  wound  caused  his  confinement  in  hospital 
six  months,  and  the  removal  of  three  inches  of  bone.  December  3,  1863, 
he  received  his  discharge  as  Second  Sergeant,  when  he  came  home  and 
engaged  in  farming.  April  4, 1865,  he  married  Mrs.  Sophia  E.  (Bunnell) 
Hutchinson,  widow  of  John  Hutchinson,  and  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and 
Susan  (Runyan)  Bunnell,  who  came  to  White  County  about  1833.  To 
this  marriage  of  Mr.  Kenton  and  Mrs.  Hutchinson  have  been  born  four 
children — Simon,  Lydia,  Joseph,  and  an  infant  that  died  unnamed.  Mr. 
K.  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  a  Republican,  and  his 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  His  residence  is 
on  Section  30,  in  this  township,  and  his  fiirm  comprises  about  1,000 
acres,  extending  into  Honey  Creek  Township. 

LOUGHRY  FAMILY. — Among  those  who  have  become  very 
actively  engaged  in  the  manufacturing  interests  of  Monticello  during  the 
past  few  years,  are  members  of  the  family  whose  name  forms  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  N.  B.  Loughry,  father  of  of  the  brothers  who  so  success- 
fully operate  the  Monticello  Mills,  is  a  native  of  Indiana  County,  Penn., 


CITY  OF  MONTICELLO.  227 

as  were  also  his  parents,  Joseph  and  Sarah  N.  (Howard)  Loughry;  but 
his  grandfather,  William  Loughry,  was  born  in  Northern  Ire- 
land, and,  in  about  1780,  emigrated  to  the  United  States  and 
settled  in  Indiana  County,  Penn.,  then  a  part  of  Westmoreland  County- 
Joseph  Loughry  made  farming  and  merchandising  his  principal  occu- 
pation through  life,  but  by  an  election  on  the  Anti-Masonic  ticket  to 
the  office  of  County  Sheriff  in  his  native  county,  served  in  that  capacity 
three  years.  N.  B.  Loughry  was  born  February  13,  1815,  and  is  the 
only  issue  of  his  parents'  marriage.  At  the  age  of  twelve  jears,  he 
moved  with  his  parents  to  Blairsville,  where  he  received  the  greater  part 
of  his  education,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  was  sent  alone  to  Phil- 
adelphia to  purchase  a  stock  of  goods,  which  he  did,  displaying  rare 
business  qualities  in  one  so  young.  November  13,  1838,  he  married 
Miss  Rachel  Wright,  who  was  born  in  what  is  now  Juniata  County,  Penn., 
July  21,  1816,  and  to  them  have  been  born  a  family  of  six  children — 
Sarah  L.  (deceased),  Joseph  E.,  Clara,  Mrs.  Rev.  Edwards,  Albert  W., 
Amy  and  Cloid.  Succeeding  his  mari-iage  for  a  number  of  years,  Mr. 
Loughry  was  engaged  in  merchandising,  at  the  same  time  taking  an 
active  part  in  all  public  matters,  especially  politics.  He  cast  his  first 
vote  with  the  Whig  party  in  1836,  but  on  the  organization  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  joined  its  ranks,  and  has  since  been  identified  as  one  of  its 
members.  While  a  resident  of  Blairsville,  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
County  Prothonotary,  and  served  in  that  position  three  years.  In  1855, 
he  and  family  emigrated  to  La  Fayette,  Ind..  and  from  there  moved  to 
White  County  four  yearsJater.  The  family  resided  in  Monon  Township  un- 
til 1872,  engaged  in  different  pursuits,  then  removed  to  Monticello  and  en- 
gaged in  milling,  having  traded  their  farm  as  part  payment  on  the  Monticello 
Mills.  The  mill  at  that  time  only  had  a  capacity  of  about  seventy-five 
barrels  per  day,  and  needed  many  improvements  to  make  it  first  class. 
Being  strangers  in  the  place,  without  credit,  and  with  a  heavy  debt  over- 
shadowing their  efforts,  the  Loughrys  began  work  under  adverse  circum- 
stances. By  their  united  efforts,  the  father  managing  the  financial  part, 
together  with  the  practical  experience  of  J.  E.  Loughry  as  a  miller,  and 
the  invaluable  assistance  of  the  other  two  st)ns,  A.  W.  and  Cloid,  they 
have  produced  a  wonderful  change.  The  mill  is  a  three-story  and  base- 
ment frame  structure,  40x60  feet,  is  operated  by  water-power,  runs  both 
night  and  day,  and  gives  employment  to  thirteen  hands,  including  three 
experienced  millers,  and  is  what  is  known  as  a  "mixed  mill,"  operating 
both  stone  and  rolls.  It  is  one  of  the  best  equipped  mills  in  Northern 
Indiana,  possessing  all  the  latest  and  best  improvements  known  to  the 
business,  and  has  a  capacity  of  150  barrels  per  day.  They  convert  into 
flour  about  125,000  bushels  of  wheat  per  annum,  and,  besides  supplying 


228  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES; 

home  demand  with  their  product,  which  is  not  excelled  in  quality  by  any 
mill  in  the  State,  they  ship  large  quantities  to  Great  Britain.  Their 
head  miller,  Frank  P.  Berkey,  began  work  shortly  after  they  obtained 
possession,  and  by  honesty  and  a  faithful  performance  of  his  duties  has 
advanced  step  by  step  to  his  present  position,  which  he  fills  with  entire 
satisfaction.  In  addition  to  their  milling  interests,  the  Loughrys  own 
and  operate  a  furniture  factory  directly  opposite  their  mill,  and  also  a 
furniture  store  up  town.  For  the  past  ten  years,  these  gentlemen  have 
done  far  the  largest  business  of  any  firm  in  either  White  or  Pulaski 
County,  and  to  their  enterprise  and  sagacity  the  town  of  Monticello  is 
largely  indebted  for  the  greater  part  of  her  manufacturing  interests. 
N.  B.  Loughry  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  J. 
E.  Loughry,  the  eldest  son,  was  born  in  Saltsburg,  Indiana  Co.,  Penn., 
September  4,  1842,  and  has  always  resided  in  the  same  locality  with  his 
parents.  He  received  a  good  practical  education  in  youth,  and  while  re- 
siding in  La  Fayette  attended  the  high  school  of  that  city.  August  11, 
1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Twelfth  Indiana  Volunteers,  but  in- 
stead of  going  with  the  regiment  to  the  front,  was  detailed  on  recruiting 
duty.  He  thus  happily  escaped  being  made  prisoner,  which  disaster 
overtook  his  company  at  the  battle  of  Richmond,  Kj.  In  November, 
1862,  after  the  parole  and  exchange  of  the  prisoners,  Mr.  Loughry  and 
the  company  of  which  he  was  a  member,  were  sent  to  Memphis,  Tenn.; 
it  remained  there  that  winter,  doing  guard  duty,  etc.,  and  in  June,  1863, 
it  was  ordered  to  assist  the  troops  under  Gen.  Grant  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  Vicksburg.  On  the  evening  of  July  4.  after  the  city  was 
surrendered,  the  troops  made  a  forced  march  to  Jackson,  and  after  the 
reduction  of  that  city  returned  and  wintered  near  Vicksburg.  Mr. 
Loughry  participated  in  the  battle  of  Mission  Ridge  next,  and  here  he 
was  wounded  in  the  right  leg,  but  not  sufficiently  severe  to  keep  him  from 
active  duty.  After  this  engagement,  they  were  ordered  to  Burnside's 
relief  at  Knoxville,  followed  by  Mr.  Loughry's  participation  in  the  At- 
lanta campaign,  including  every  important  battle.  At  the  battle  of  At- 
lanta, he  was  a  member  of  the  body  of  troops  which  repelled  the  charge 
in  which  gallant  McPherson  was  killed.  The  memorable  march  to  the 
sea  was  the  succeeding  movement,  and  the  Twelfth  Regiment  was  the 
first  to  enter  Columbia,  S.  C.  From  Columbia  they  went  to  Richmond 
via  Raleigh,  and  from  there  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where  the  Twelfth 
Indiana  Volunteers  headed  the  grand  review  of  the  Army  of  the  West. 
Mr.  Loughry  was  discharged  June  9,  1865,  and  from  the  time  of  his 
enlistment  to  his  discharge  never  lost  a  day  from  service,  never  missed  a 
campaign  or  battle  in  which  his  regiment  was  engaged.  After  the  war, 
he  took  a  thorough  course  in  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College  at  In- 


CITY  OF  MONTICELLO.  229 

dianapolis,  after  which  he  was  engaged  in  milling  in  Monon  and  Attica 
until  he  came  to  Monticello.  He  is  a  Mason  and  Republican.  In  1873, 
he  married  Miss  Nancy  Turner,  and  a  family  of  three  children 
has  been  born  to  their  union — Louisa  T.,  Mabel  and  William  N. 
A.  W.  Loughry  was  born  in  Indiana  County,  Penn.,  June  9,  1847; 
came  with  his  parents  to  Indiana ;  received  the  ordinary  education  in  his 
earlier  years,  and,  by  his  intimate  connection  with  the  mill,  is  among  its 
best  workers.  May  3,  1881,  he  married  Miss  Sally  Kendall,  daughter 
of  Charles  W.  Kendall,  deceased,  and  their  union  is  blessed  with  one  son 
— Howard.  A.  W.  Loughry  is  a  Republican  and  a  member  of  both 
Masonic  and  K.  of  P.  fraternities,  and  Mrs.  Loughry  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church. 

JAMES  M.  McBETH,  Deputy  County  Auditor  and  Trustee  of 
Union  Township,  is  a  native  of  Clark  County,  Ohio,  where  his  birth  oc- 
curred July  31,  1842.  His  father,  William  McBeth,  was  a  Pennsylva- 
nian  of  Scotch  descent,  a  farmer,  and  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife, 
Amelia  Goudy,  died  in  Ohio  in  1820,  an  infant  daughter  surviving  her 
only  a  short  time.  In  about  1824,  he  married  Anna  Steele,  mother  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  to  this  union  seven  children  were  born, 
three  only  of  whom  are  living.  The  parents  moved  to  Cass  Township, 
this'  county,  in  December,  1847,  where  Mr.  McBeth  died  in  1854.  His 
widow  remarried,  and  is  yet  living  in  White  County,  aged  seventy-eight 
years.  James  M.  McBeth  has  passed  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in 
White  County,  and  is  one  of  its  soldier  boys,  having  enlisted  on  the  5th 
of  November,  1861,  in  Company  E,  Fifty-sixth  Indiana  Volunteers,  and 
having  been  discharged  September  5,  1865.  He  was  engaged  in  the 
battles  of  Fort  Gibson,  Raymond,  Champion  Hills,  Vicksburg,  Carrion 
Crow  Bayou,  Pleasant  Hill,  Opelousas  and  Sabine  Cross  Roads.  At  the 
last-named  engagement,  Mr.  McBeth  was  captured  and  conveyed  to  Camp 
Ford  in  Texas,  and  afterward  to  Camp  Grose.  At  the  last-named  place 
lie  was  paroled,  and  in  February,  1865,  was  exchanged.  After  the  war, 
be  returned  home,  and  commenced  better  educating  himself,  and  since 
has  taught  school  a  total  of  twenty-one  terms,  and  for  the  past  eight 
years  has  served  as  Deputy  Auditor.  Mr.  McBeth  is  a  warm  Re- 
publican, has  served  in  various  positions  of  local  honor  and  trust,  and  is 
the  present  Trustee  of  Union  Township.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0. 
O.  F.,  A.  0.  U.  I.,  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  father  of  four  children— William 
E.,  Walter,  Bertha  and  Birdella.  The  mother  was  Miss  Sarah  C.  Turner, 
of  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  Avas  married  to  Mr.  McBeth  November  25,  1872, 
and  both  parents  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  follow- 
ing are  the  names  of  the  children  born  to  Mr.  McBeth's  parents :  John 
S.  {died  in  Andersonville  Prison),  William  W.  (a  resident  of  Tippecanoe 


230  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

County),  Joseph  (who  lives  on  the  old  place  in  Cass  Township),  James 
M.,  Amelia  G.,  Margaret  J.  and  Mary  A.  (deceased). 

J.  H.  McCOLLUM,  of  McCollum  &  Turner,  was  born  in  Greene 
County,  Penn.,  November  10,  1834,  but  was  removed,  when  a  boy,  by  his 
parents,  Thomas  M.  and  Sarah  (Hughes)  McCollum,  to  Coshocton 
County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared  to  manhood.  He  was  educated  in 
the  common  schools,  and  in  the  fall  of  1854  came  to  Monticello  a  poor 
boy,  and  here  clerked  six  years  for  Roland  Hughes,  his  mother's  brother, 
and  was  then  taken  in  as  partner.  Two  years  later,  Mr.  Hughes  sold  out 
his  interest  to  Mr.  McCollum  and  D.  D.  Dale.  The  stock  was  removed 
to  the  building  now  occupied  by  McCollum  &  Turner,  and  here  McCol- 
lum &  Dale  carried  on  an  extensive  business  for  two  years.  Having 
been  appointed  a  county  official,  Mr.  Dale,  in  1864,  sold  out  to  Mr.  Mc- 
Collum, who,  in  October,  1866,  admitted  J.  M.  Turner  as  partner,  and  in 
1867  H.  H.  Hamlin,  of  Pennsylvania,  was  admitted,  the  firm  name 
being  McCollum,  Turner  &  Hamlin.  The  firm  now  enlarged  their  busi- 
ness, erected  their  grain  elevator,  and  began  buying  and  selling  grain, 
lumber,  coal,  etc.  Three  years  later,  Mr.  Hamlin's  interest  was  pur- 
chased by  the  other  two  partners,  and  since  then  the  firm  of  McCollum 
&  Turner  have  continued  uninterruptedly.  In  conjunction  with  others, 
in  1880,  they  erected  their  hay  barn  directly  north  of  their  elevator, 
where  they  now  carry  on  a  large  hay  business.  Their  store  is  stocked 
with  first-class  dry  goods,  valued  at  over  |30, 000,  and  their  average  annual 
transactions  amount  to  over  |55,000,  exclusive  of  their  other  interests. 
Mr.  McCollum  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  although  not  an  aspirant 
for  political  honors,  has  served  as  School  Trustee  six  years,  and  by  the 
Board  of  Trustees  was  elected  Treasurer,  serving  his  entire  term  in  this 
capacity.  At  that  time,  the  finances  of  the  school  were  much  embarrassed, 
and  of  the  nine  months'  sessions  during  the  year,  tuition  only  for  six 
months  was  free.  Through  his  management,  the  finances  have  been  placed 
in  a  healthy  condition,  the  whole  of  the  nine  months'  tuition  made  free, 
heaters  put  in  the  building,  a  library  worth  about  $700  presented  by 
Mr.  McCollum,  and  when  he  retired  from  the  treasurership,  there  were 
left  a  tuition  fund  of  $2,000,  and  a  special  fund  of  $1,800,  for  heating 
purposes.  He  has  been  twice  married — first,  June  15,  1858,  to  Nancy 
Jane  Hughes,  who  was  born  in  Monticello  January  3,  1842,  and  who  died 
March  22, 1862.  His  second  and  present  wife  was  Miss  Mary  M.  Turner, 
who  was  born  August  17,  1844,  and  to  whom  he  was  married  August  23, 
1864.  To  this  union  have  been  born  four  children — Lillie  M.,  May  16, 
1866;  Edna  M.,  October  23,  1873;  Stuart  T.,  August  11,  1876,  and 
William  Earl,  August  20,  1881.  The  mother  is  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church.     Mr.  McCollum's  parents  came  to  White   County  in 


CITY  OF  MONTICELLO.  281 

1874,  and  here  his  mother  died  January  2.  1878,  and  his  father  August 
13,.  1880. 

RANSON  McCONAHAY,  deceased,  was  born  in  Bourbon  County, 
Ky.,  November  30,  1803,  and  was  the  son  of  David  and  Jane  (Ranson) 
McConahay,  the  former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent.  Ranson  received  a  good  practical  education,  and  when  a  young 
man  taught  school  ;  he  also  learned  blacksmithing  and  shoe-making,  and 
followed  either  trade  for  a  time,  and  also  engaged  in  farming.  March  26, 
1829,  he  married  Mary  Thompson,  in  Campbell  County,  Ky.,  and  in  the 
same  year  moved  to  Tippecanoe  County,  this  State,  where  he  farmed  un- 
til 1832,  when  he  came  to  what  is  now  White  County,  and  located  about 
thirteen  miles  south  of  the  site  of  Monticello.  There  he  farmed  and 
and  taught  school  ten  or  twelve  years,  and  then  moved  to  Liberty  Town- 
ship, where  he  was  appointed  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  William  Siil, 
who  died  while  serving  in  the  capacity  of  Clerk,  Auditor  and  Recorder 
of  White  County,  under  the  official  name  of  County  Clerk.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  the  term,  Mr.  McConahay  was  elected  to  the  office,  and  re- 
elected, his  last  term  closing  in  1858,  when  his  son  Orlando  succeeded 
him.  He  then  engaged  m  mercantile  business  in  Monticello,  Burnetts- 
ville,  Norway,  and  also  in  Pulaski  County.  In  about  1867,  he  retired 
from  active  life,  and  April  22,  1868,  died  at  the  home  of  his  daughter, 
Mrs.  Haworth,  in  Pulaski  County.  His  remains  lie  interred  in  the  cem- 
etery in  Star  City.  His  first  wife  died  in  White  County  September  19, 
1849  ;  she  had  borne  him  eight  children,  of  whom  six  reached  maturity 
— Orlando,  Laura,  James  A.,  Horace  T.,  Mary  and  Melissa  A.  He 
was  married,  December  17,  1850,  to  his  second  wife,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
(Haworth)  Sturgeon,  who  has  borne  him  two  children — Ranson  C.  and 
John  W.  She  is  still  living  and  resides  in  Jasper  County.  Orlando  Mc- 
Conahay, the  eldest  son,  was  born  in  Tippecanoe  County  February  14, 
1831,  but  was  reared  in  White  County.  For  eight  years,  beginning  in 
1859,  he  served  as  Clerk  of  Courts  of  White  County,  and  is  now  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  law  and  is  serving  as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  was 
married,  December  25,  1854,  to  Sarah  A.  W.  Ritchey,  who  died  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1862,  leaving  one  son — Samuel  T.  His  second  wife,  Maria 
L.  Price,  to  whom  he  was  married  January  18,  1865,  has  borne  him 
one  daughter — Asenath  B.  Up  to  1863,  Orlando  McConahay  was 
a  Democrat,  but  differing  with  his  party  in  war  views,  he  then  became  a 
Republican. 

JOHN  McCONNELL  was  born  in  Greenfield,  Ohio,  November  6, 
1838,  and  is  one  of  fourteen  children  born  to  James  B.  and  Sarah  D. 
(Stewart)  McConnell.  James  B.  McConnell  was  a  physician,  located  in 
Cass  County,  Ind.,  in  1852,  and  there  died  in  1855  ;  his  widow  resides 


232  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

in  Monticello.  John  McConnell  was  reared  until  he  was  fourteen  in 
Ohio,  then  passed  three  years  in  Indiana,  then  five  years  in  Illinois  ;  he 
then  returned  to  this  State,  where  he  has  resided  ever  since.  In  August, 
1862,  he  enlisted  from  Cass  County  in  Company  G,  Seventy-third  In- 
diana' Volunteer  Infantry.  He  fought  in  Kentucky  and  at  Stone 
River.  He  was  captured  while  on  special  duty  at  Rome,  Ga., 
was  sent  first  to  Atlanta  and  then  to  Richmond,  where  he 
was  exchanged  ;  the  remainder  of  his  service  was  passed  in  detached  or 
special  duty,  and  he  was  discharged  in  the  fall  of  1865.  For  a  year,  he 
engaged  in  merchandising  with  his  brothers,  in  Logansport ;  he  then 
came  to  Monticello  and  engaged  in  the  drug  trade,  and  now  carries  a 
stock  valued  at  $6,000,  consisting  of  a  full  line  of  pure  drugs,  books, 
€tc.,  and  during  the  holidays  a  very  full  line  of  toys.  Mr.  McConnell 
was  married  to  Miss  Martha  Cowger,  who  has  borne  him  two  daughters — 
Gail  D.  and  Sarah  F.  Mr.  McConnell  is  a  member  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W., 
and  is  a  Republican.  Mrs.  McConnell  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church. 

ISRAEL  NORDYKE  is  of  Dutch  extraction  and  was  born  in 
Guilford  County,  N.  C,  June  10,  1824.  There  were  born  to  his  parents, 
Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Shaw)  Nordyke,  a  family  of  eleven  children,  seven 
of  whom  still  survive.  In  1830,  the  parents  came  to  Tippecanoe  Coun- 
ty, Ind.,  and  here  Israel  Nordyke  was  reared  to  man's  estate.  He  re- 
ceived such  schooling  as  was  common  in  that  early  day,  and  in  1844  came 
to  White  County  for  the  purpose  of  making  it  his  future  home,  followed 
by  his  parents  two  years  later.  Both  parents  and  son  settled  in  Prince- 
ton Township,  and  shortly  after  their  arrival  the  father  died,  his  widow 
following  in  about  1861.  Israel  Nordyke  farmed  until  the  spring  of 
1859,  when  he  sold  his  farm  in  Princeton  Township  and  embarked  in 
mercantile  pursuits  in  Pulaski,  Pulaski  County.  He  remained  only  one 
year,  when  he  removed  his  goods  to  Seafield,  White  County,  and  from 
there  to  Wolcott  two  years  later.  He  there  enjoyed  a  profitable  trade 
until  1873,  when  he  removed  to  Monticello  to  fill  the  position  of  County 
Treasurer,  having  been  elected  to  this  ofiice  the  preceding  fall.  Mr.  Nor- 
dyke served  two  terms  of  two  years  each  as  Treasurer  of  White  County, 
and  at  the  end  of  his  second  term  left  the  office  with  an  established  repu- 
tation for  honor  and  ability.  Since  that  time,  he  has  been  engaged  in  the 
hardware  trade  in  Monticello,  and  the  firm  of  which  he  is  senior  member 
and  his  oldest  son  junior,  is  one  of  the  well-established  business  houses 
of  the  place.  Mr.  Nordyke,  in  politics,  is  a  Republican  ;  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife, 
Jemima  Stewart,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1848,  bore  him  four  chil- 
dren— Albert  S.,  Ellis  (deceased),  Theodore  (deceased)   and   Mary  E.   L. 


CITY  OF  MONTICELLO.  233 

The  mother  died  in  1859,  and  in  1862  he  married  his  present  wife,  Eliza 
Kahler.     One  son  is  the  result  of  this  marriage — John  P. 

ALFRED  R.  ORTON,  Surveyor  of  White  County,  was  born  in 
Perry  County,  Ohio,  November  5,  1833,  and  is  one  of  two  surviving 
children  of  a  family  of  three  born  to  John  B.  and  Matilda  (Reynolds) 
Orton,  who  were  natives  of  Vermont  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and 
of  English  origin.  John  B.  Orton  followed  the  calling  of  an  attorney 
throughout  his  entire  career ;  and  while  a  resident  of  Perry  County, 
Ohio,  was  called  upon  to  represent  his  county  in  the  State  Legislature 
two  terms.  He  died  in  1844,  and  the  year  following  Mrs.  Orton  and 
remainder  of  the  family  came  to  White  County,  settling  in  Union  Town- 
ship. This  has  since  been  the  home  of  the  Ortons,  and  here  Mrs.  Orton 
died  in  July,  1879.  Besides  a  close  attendance  on  the  common  schools, 
Alfred  R.  Orton  received  the  benefits  of  a  three-years'  course  in  Wabash 
College,  after  which,  for  a  time,  he  contracted  and  executed  Government 
surveying  in  the  West.  For  the  past  twenty-three  years,  he  has  been 
chiefly  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Monticello,  but  in  1880  he  received 
the  appointment  of  County  Surveyor,  to  fill  an  unexpired  term.  In  1882, 
he  was  the  Republican  nominee  for  that  position,  and,  strange  to  say,  he 
was  the  only  one  of  his  party  elected.  The  marriage  of  Alfred  R.  Orton 
and  Miss  Addie  C.  Parker,  of  Bedford,  Ind.,  was  solemnized  December 
27,  1859,  and  to  this  union  three  children  have  been  born — Ora,  Julius 
and  Emma,  deceased.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Monticello. 

H.  P.  OWENS,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  White  County  Demo- 
crat, is  a  son  of  Robert  L.  Owens,  who  was  born  in  Culpeper  County, 
Va.,  February  2,  1800,  and  who  moved  to  Kentucky  with  his  parents  in 
1805.  Succeeding  his  marriage  with  Mary  Perry,  Robert  L.  Owens  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  both  he  and  wife  are  yet  living  on 
their  farm  in  Shelby  County,  Ky.  He  was  the  father  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren, was  three  times  married,  but  to  his  marriage  with  Mary  Perry  only 
one  son  was  born,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  H.  P.  Owens  was  reared 
in  his  native  State,  and  received  the  greater  part  of  his  education  at 
Georgetown  College.  Shortly  after  completing  the  scientific  department 
of  that  school,  he  took  a  commercial  course  at  Bryant  &  Stratton's  busi- 
ness College  of  Louisville,  and  then  graduated  from  the  law  department 
of  the  New  York  State  University.  The  spring  of  1868,  he  entered  the 
law  office  of  Webb  &  Harlan,  of  Newcastle,  Ky.,  remaining  with  them 
two  years,  both  as  a  student  and  an  assistant.  In  1873,  he  came  to 
Monticello  and  formed  a  partnership  with  J.  H.  Matlock,  in  the  practice 
of  law,  which  continued  until  Mr.  M.'s  death  in  1878.  In  about  1879, 
he  became  a  partner  of  W.    E.   Uhl,  and  besides  carrying  on  their  law 


234  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

practice  this  firm,  in  1882,  founded  the  White  County  Democrat,  and 
continued  its  publication  until  January,  1883,  when  Mr.  Uhl  severed  his 
co|;inection  with  the  paper  in  order  to  give  his  undivided  attention  to  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  Mr.  Owens  formed  a  partnership  with  A.  B. 
Clarke  in  February,  1883,  and  this  firm  now  conducts  the  only  Demo- 
cratic paper  in  White  County,  and  it  is  needless  to  add  that  it  is  a  suc- 
cess. One  soil — Harry — has  been  born  to  Mr.  Owens'  marriage  with  Miss 
Lillie  L.  Switzer,  Avhich  was  solemnized  August  6,  1879. 

TRUMAN  F.  PALMER  was  born  in  Steuben  County,  Ind.,  Janu- 
ary 7,  1851,  and  is  one  of  the  two  children  born  to  Truman  F.  and 
Plumea  (Perry)  Palmer.  His  father,  a  native  of  New  York,  was  a  gradu- 
ate of  Allegheny  College,  of  Meadville,  Penn.,  and  a  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  died  ten  days  after  the  birth  of  our 
subject,  and  his  widow  shortly  afterward  came  to  White  County  and 
engaged  in  school  teaching ;  she  is  now  living  in  Burnettsville.  Truman 
F.  Palmer,  Jr.,  was  reared  in  this  county  and  attended  the  public  schools  ; 
then  for  two  years  attended  the  Battle  Ground  Collegiate  Institute,  then 
for  nine  months  at  the  Farmer's  Institute  at  Clinton,  and  graduated  from 
the  State  University  at  Bloomington  in  1872,  receiving  his  degree  of  LL. 
B.  He  taught  school  and  practiced  law  until  1875,  and  then  for  four 
years  was  Deputy  County  Clerk  at  Monticello.  He  then  resumed  prac- 
tice, and  in  March,  1881,  formed  his  present  partnership  with  M.  M.  Sill, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Sill  &  Palmer.  Mr.  Palmer  is  a  Republican,  a 
Mason,  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  Knight  of  Pythias. 

B.  F.  PRICE  was  born  in  Union  Township,  this  county,  September 
27,  1838,  and  is  one  of  the  five  surviving  children  of  nine  born  to  Peter 
and  Asenath  (Rothrock)  Price.  Peter  Price  was  a  native  of  Berks 
County,  Penn.,  and  was  born  in  1799.  He  became  a  weaver,  and,  in 
1821,  in  Mifflin  County, was  married.  In  June,  1831,  he  came  to  what  is 
now  Union  Township,  White  County,  built  up  a  home  from  the  wilder- 
ness, served  his  fellow-citizens  for  a  while  as  County  Treasurer,  and  died, 
an  honored  member  of  the  community,  July  19,  1877.  His  widow,  who 
was  born  in  1802,  yet  survives  him.  Of  the  six  sons  and  three  daughters 
born  to  them,  four  sons  and  one  daughter  are  yet  living.  Three  of  the 
sons  were  soldiers  in  the  late  war,  and  one  of  these,  John,  rose  from  the 
ranks  to  be  First  Lieutenant  in  Company  K,  Twentieth  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Infantry.  Benjamin  F.  Price  enlisted  June  20,  1862,  in  Company 
D,  Twelfth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  but  on  the  organization  of  the 
company  was  elected  Second  Lieutenant.  At  the  battle  of  Richmond, 
Ky.,  his  entire  company,  with  but  few  exceptions,  was  taken  by  the 
enemy — Mr.  Price  being  one  of  the  few  who  accidentally  escaped.  In 
November,  1862,  he  was  stationed    at    Memphis,  and  then   under    Grant 


CITY  OF  MONTICKLLO.  235 


near 


Vicksburg,  and  next  he  went  through  the  Jackson  campaign;  Sep- 
tember 12,  1863  he  was  promoted  to  be  First  Lieutenant,  and  to  the 
Captaincy  of  Company  D,  May  6,  1864.  At  Resaca,  May  13,  1864,  he 
was  wounded  severely  in  the  left  thigh.  June  8,  1865,  he  received  his 
discharge,  and  returned  home  to  engage  in  farming.  In  1873,  he  married 
Miss  S.  E.  Kiefhaber,  a  native  of  White  County,  and  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  Capt.  Price  is  the  owner  of  120  acres  of  land,  is 
a  Republican,  and  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F. 

A.  W.  REYNOLDS  was  born  in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  September  16, 
1839.  His  father,  Ebenezer  Reynolds,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  but 
was  married  in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  to  Elizabeth  Yost,  who  became  the 
mother  of  seven  children,  two  of  whom  are  still  living.  The  mother  died 
about  a  week  after  the  birth  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  the  father 
■married  Martha  Wright,  who  bore  two  children  and  died  in  1856.  Mr. 
Reynolds  next  married  Mary  Sellers,  who  died  without  issue  in  1877, 
preceded  by  her  husband  in  1861.  A.  W.  Reynolds  was  reared  in  Ohio 
until  November,  1856,  when  he  came  to  Monticello.  For  two  years,  he 
attended  the  high  school  here,  and  subsequently  Wabash  College,  at 
Crawfordsville,  and  the  college  at  Monmouth,  111.  He  then  began 
the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  David  Turpie,  of  Monticello. 
After  two  years'  study  he  began  practice  in  Winamac,  but  at  the  end 
of  a  year  returned  to  Monticello.  January?  1.  1874,  he  formed 
a  copartnership  with  E.  B.  Sellers,  and  the  firm  still  continue  in 
active  business.  Mr.  Reynolds  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  for 
eight  years  was  Prosecuting  Attorney  for  the  counties  of  Carroll, 
White  and  Benton.  He  married  Louisa  G.  Magee,  who  has  borne  him 
one  son — George. 

A.  REYNOLDS,  superintendent  of  paper  mill,  Tippecanoe  Station, 
Carroll  County,  Ind.,  was  born  in  Monticello  August  7,  1845,  to  Isaac 
and  Mary  J.  (Hughes)  Reynolds,  the  former  deceased  and  the  latter  liv- 
ing in  Monticello.  When  twenty-two  years  of  age,  A.  Reynolds  went 
into  partnership  with  his  father  in  merchandising.  In  1872,  he  with- 
drew, and  organized  the  Monticello  Paper  Company,  with  the  following 
stockholders :  William  Braden,  P.  A.  Hull,  John  C.  Blake,  James  H. 
McCollum,  0.  S.  Dale,  S.  F.  Southard,  D  D.  Dale  and  A.  Reynolds. 
The  assessed  stock  was  $50,000,  one-half  of  which  was  paid  up.  A  one- 
story  frame  building,  30x150  feet,  was  erected  one  mile  below  town  limits, 
and  about  fifteen  hands  were  employed.  In  1874,  Braden  k  Hull  pur- 
chased the  stock,  and,  admitting  A.  B.  Robertson  as  partner,  conducted 
the  business  until  1879.  In  August  of  that  year,  the  Tippecanoe  Paper 
Company  was  organized  and  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  Illinois. 
Mr.  Reynolds,  the  only  stockholder  at  Monticello,  was   made  Superin- 


236  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

tendent.  The  building  was  enlarged,  its  dimensions  now  being  181x140 
feet,  and  its  ground  plan  that  of  the  letter  T ;  new  machinery  was  intro- 
duced, and  its  capacity  increased  to  fifteen  tons  of  paper  per  week,  and 
twelve  tons  of  dry  pulp.  Forty  hands  are  employed  night  and  day  ;  the 
product  is  a  superior  quality  of  No.  2  news,  and  the  average  annual 
business  about  $120,000,  Mr.  Reynolds  was  married,  in  1868,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Blake,  who  has  borne  him  two  children — Guy  and  Charley. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W. 

R.  D.  ROBERTS  was  born  in  White  County,  Ind.,  January  21,  1837, 
and  was  one  of  eight  children  born  to  John  and  Martha  (Dyer)  Roberts. 
John  Roberts  was  born  in  Martinsburg,  Va.,  July  16,  1804,  and  when 
only  about  a  year  old  his  parents  moved  to  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  where 
he  was  reared  to  manhood.  He  was  married  about  1827,  and  the  follow- 
ing year  he  and  wife,  a  native  of  Ohio,  immigrated  into  Indiana,  locating 
in  Tippecanoe  County.  In  the  spring  of  1831,  they  moved  to  this 
county,  and  entered  160  acres  of  Government  land,  three  and  one-half 
miles  southwest  of  where  Monticello  now  stands,  moved  into  an  Indian 
house  standing  on  the  land,  and  commenced  farming.  Here  they  resided 
until  1866,  when  they  moved  to  Monticello,  where  Mrs.  Roberts  is  now  liv- 
ing and  where  Mr.  Roberts  died  September  7, 1872.  Of  their  four  children 
still  living — William  D.  is  married,  and  resides  in  Cowley  County,  Kan.; 
Maria  (Mrs.  William  Fraser),  Susanna  (Mrs.  Perry  Spencer)  and  R.  D. 
Roberts  (our  subject)  have  always  made  White  County  their  home.  R.  D. 
Roberts,  in  his  youth,  received  a  fair  common  school  education,  and  at 
the  age  of  twenty-four  began  doing  for  himself  November  7,  1861, 
he  married  Miss  Susan  Scouden,  a  native  of  Tippecanoe  County,  and  to 
this  union  have  been  born  eight  children — Celesta  (deceased),  Martha  E., 
Eva  S.,  Maria,  Indiana,  Katie,  Robert  E.  and  Mary.  Mr.  Roberts  began 
married  life  as  a  farmer ;  has  continued  the  occupation,  and  now  owns 
640  acres  in  Union  Township.  In  1876,  he  and  William  B.  Keefer, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Roberts  &  Keefer,  purchased  a  building  which 
had  been  used  as  a  woolen  factory,  christened  it  the  "  Crystal  Mills,"  put 
in  flouring  mill  machinery,  consisting  of  three  runs  of  buhrs,  and  began 
the  manufacture  of  flour.  A  year  later,  Mr.  Roberts  purchased  his  part- 
ner's interest,  and  then  ran  the  business  individually  until  March,  1879, 
when  he  admitted  as  a  partner  his  nephew,  Fred  Roberts.  This  firm, 
under  the  name  of  R.  D.  Roberts,  added  another  J^uhr,  but,  in  1881,  dis- 
carded the  millstones  and  introduced  a  "gradual  reduction  "  plan,  known 
as  the  "Jonathan  Mills  System."  They  produce  a  superior  flour,  keep 
employed  two  experienced  millers,  and  run  night  and  day ;  they  have  a 
capacity  of  125  barrels  per  twenty-four  hours,  but  average  about  100. 
The  building  is  three   stories  high,  is  42x76  feet,  and  the  machinery  is 


CITY  OF  MONTICELLO.  237 

operated   by  water-power.     Tn   politics,  R.  D.  Roberts   is  a   Republican^ 
and  he  is  one  of  White  County's  most  substantial  citizens. 

DR.  F.  B.  ROBISON  was  born  in  Miami  County,  Ohio,  August  28, 
1843,  and  is  one  of  six  children,  three  of  whom  are  yet  living,  born  to 
Thomas  A.  and  Elizabeth  P.  (Hathaway)  Robison,  natives  of  Pennsylva- 
nia and  Ohio  respectively.  Thomas  A.  Robison,  a  ^farmer,  was  married 
in  Ohio  ;  he  came  to  Indiana  in  1844,  and  died  in  Camden,  Carroll 
County,  about  1855.  The  widow  married  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mitchell.  After 
his  death,  she  came  with  her  son,  our  subject,  to  Monticello,  where  she 
died  in  April,  1873.  From  the  time  he  was  nine  years  old,  Dr.  Robison 
has  had  to  do  for  himself.  He  was  reared  a  farmer,  acquired  a  good 
common  school  education,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  began  the  study  of 
medicine  at  Delphi,  with  Dr.  F.  A.  Schultz.  He  studied  three  years. 
In  1865,  attended  his  first  term,  and  February  12,  1867,  received  his 
diploma  as  M.  D.  from  the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute  at  Cincinnati.  He 
then  located  at  Delphi,  and  was  in  partnership  with  his  former  preceptor 
until  April,  1869,  when  he  came  to  Monticello,  where  he  has  met  with 
ample  success.  He  is  a  Democrat,  a  K.  of  P.,  and  a  member  of  the  A. 
0.  U.  W.  In  April,  1867,  he  married  Miss  Kate  Davis,  of  Burnetts- 
ville,  who  has  borne  him  two  children — Lillian  J.  and  Margaret  A. 
Mrs.  Robison  is  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church  of  Monticello. 

PROF.  J.  G.  ROYER,  Superintendent  of  the  Monticello  Public 
Schools,  is  a  native  of  Union  County,  Penn.,  where  he  was  born  April 
22,  1838.  He  is  next  to  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  seven  children  born 
to  Jacob  and  Susan  (Myers)  Royer,  who  were  of  Swiss  and  German 
descent  respectively.  He  remained  on  his  father's  farm  until  the  com- 
pletion of  his  fifteenth  year,  when,  at  that  almost  unprecedentedly  young 
age,  he  began  his  career  as  a  public  teacher.  In  1856,  he  entered  Unioit 
Seminary.  New  Berlin,  Penn.,  intending  at  the  time  to  take  a  prepara- 
tory course  before  entering  college,  but,  owing  to  ill  health,  and  much  to 
his  disappointment,  was  obliged  to  abandon  the  plan.  From  that  period 
until  1863,  he  steadily  followed  the  profession  of  teaching.  In  the  last- 
mentioned  year,  he  removed  to  Darke  County,  Ohio,  and  accepted  the 
Superintendency  of  the  Versailles  Schools.  Here  his  reputation  as  an 
instructor  of  youth  was  fully  ripened.  In  1871,  he  came  to  White 
County,  purchased  a  farm  in  Jackson  Township,  and  in  the  following 
year  became  connected  with  the  schools  of  Burnettsville.  In  1876,  he 
was  engaged  as  Principal  and  Superintendent  of  the  Monticello  High 
School,  and  in  1879  was  appointed  Superintendent  alone,  the  school 
board  creating  that  position  at  the  time.  Thus  he  remains  at  present, 
enjoying  a  reputation  which  his  energy,  skill  and  natural  qualifications- 
have  secured.     He  has  at  present  a  well  improved   farm   of  eighty  acres 


238  BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  : 

in  Union  Township,  which  he  conducts  on  scientific  principles.  He  is  a 
Republican  ;  also  a  minister  of  the  German  Baptist  Church.  His  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Lizzie  ReiiF  occurred  in  1861.  They  have  eight  chil- 
dren— Galen,  Susie,  Mary,  Ida,  Nettie,  Lillie,  Phenie  and  Myrtle. 

DR.  C.  SCOTT  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ind.,  October  2,  1821, 
and  came  with  his  parents  to  Cass  County,  this  State,  in  1833.  He  is  the 
eldest  of  the  six  surviving  children  of  nine  born  to  Alexander  and  Unity 
R.  (Watts)  Scott,  and  when  a  young  man  was  engaged  in  teaching  school. 
January  7,  1845,  he  married  Rebecca  Hicks,  and  in  1847  came  to  Jack- 
son Township,  this  county,  and  began  farming.  Mrs.  Scott  died  No- 
vember 29  of  the  same  year,  leaving  two  children,  of  whom  one  died  in 
infancy,  and  the  other,  Arney,  was  starved  to  death  in  Andersonville 
Prison.  May  25,  1848,  Dr.  Scott  married  M&ry  Ann  Sheppard,  who 
bore  him  five  children  (two,  Marcellus  P.  and  Horace,  yet  living),  and 
died  May  29,  1857.  He  next  married,  January  10,  1858,  Elizabeth 
Healy.  In  November,  1866,  he  moved  to  Liberty  Township,  and  thence 
to  Monticello  in  April,  1882,  and  here  he  is  still  actively  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine.  Of  the  nine  children  borne  him  by  his  present 
wife,  seven  are  yet  living — Mary  R.,  Harriet  L.,  Maggie  A.,  Florence 
G.,  Viola  C,  Sylvester  A.  and  Henry  M.  Dr.  Scott  is  still  the  owner 
of  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Liberty  Township ;  in  politics,  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, having  united  with  the  party  in  1856,  although  he  was  reared  a 
Democrat,  and  he  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  The 
parents  of  the  Doctor  came  to  White  County  in  about  1850,  and  both 
ended  their  days  in  Liberty  Township. 

E.  B.  SELLERS,  of  the  firm  of  Reynolds  &  Sellers,  attorneys  and 
counselors  at  law,  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  his  birth  occurred  in  Perry 
County,  July  4,  1851.  Of  the'  six  children  born  to  his  parents,  Isaac 
and  Mary  (Rhodes)  Sellers,  five  are  yet  living.  The  mother  dying  in 
about  1854,  the  father  afterward  was  joined  in  marriage  with  a  Miss 
Randolph.  To  their  union  were  born  two  children  who  are  yet  living, 
but  both  parents  are  now  dead.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  E.  B. 
Sellers  left  his  native  State,  and  came  to  Indiana  to  seek  a  home  and 
fortune.  His  life  is  not  one  filled  with  remarkable  public  incidents,  but 
it  has  been  an  active  one  and  very  practical  throughout.  He  first  found 
employment  as  a  farm  hand  for  Josephus  Lowe,  near  Monon,  White 
County,  remaining  with  him  three  years.  With  the  money  saved  from 
the  proceeds  of  his  labor,  he  began  educating  himself  at  Brookston,  where 
was  then  situated  the  best  school  in  the  county.  He  alternately  taught 
and  attended  school  until  the  age  of  twenty,  when  he  began  the  study  of 
law  in  the  office  of  A.  W.  Reynolds,  his  present  partner.  In  1870,  he 
a,ttended  the  law    department  of  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College, 


(^^^/^  (R 


vZ<.^ 


CITY  OF  MONTICELLO.  241 

from  which  institution  he  received  his  diploma.  January  1,  1874,  he 
formed  his  present  partnership,  and  the  firm  of  Reynolds  &  Sellers  is 
among  the  best  in  White  County.  In  politics,  Mr.  Sellers  is  a  Democrat, 
and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic,  Odd  Fellows  and  Knights  of  Pythias 
fraternities.  July  3,  1877,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
Woltz,  daughter  of  George  B.  Woltz,  of  Monticello. 

WILLIAM  SILL  (deceased)  was  born  in  Shelby  County,  Ky., 
August  9,  1801,  and  died  in  Monticello  January  7,  1846.  He  was  mar- 
ried. November  22,  1822.  in  Shelby  County,  to  Elizabeth  Martin,  a 
native  of  the  county,  and  born  March  16,  1803;  she  died  in  Monticello, 
September  4,  1882.  Adam  Sill,  father  of  William,  was  a  native  of  Lan- 
cashire, England,  and  came  to  the  United  States  about  1780,  first  set- 
tling in  New  York  and  afterward  moving  to  Kentucky.  Moses  Martin, 
father  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Sill,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  his  father  a 
native  of  Germany.  William  Sill  and  wife  came  to  Washington  County, 
this  State,  in  1828,  and  two  years  later  moved  to  Tippecanoe  County ; 
then,  in  the  fall  of  1830,  came  to  what  is  now  Prairie  Township,  and 
taught  school  that  winter.  In  1834,  he  located  in  what  is  now  Monti- 
cello, erecting  the  first  house  in  the  town,  on  Lot  No.  I.  In  August, 
1834,  he  was  elected  the  first  Clerk  of  the  county,  which  office  comprised 
the  duties  of  Clerk,  Auditor  and  Recorder.  He  served  seven  years,  and 
was  in  the  fifth  year  of  his  second  term  when  he  died.  He  was  the  father 
of  eight  children,  of  whom  four  only  are  living — Robert  W.,  ex-Sheriff 
of  White  County;  Miranda  J.,  widow  of  James  C.  Reynolds;  Milton  M. 
and  Mrs.  Georgiana  Jones,  of  Oskaloosa,  Iowa.  Milton  M.  resides  in 
Monticello.  He  was  born  in  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind.,  May  20,  1833, 
but  was  reared  in  this  county.  At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  began  teaching 
school,  and  taught  three  winters.  In  1859,  he  was  elected  County  Sur- 
veyor by  the  Republicans ;  in  1862,  he  became  proprietor  and  editor  of 
the  Monticello  Herald^  and  the  same  year  was  made  Draft  Commissioner. 
In  1863,  he  accepted  J.  G.  Staley  as  partner  in  the  paper,  and  in  the 
fall  left  him  in  charge  and  accepted  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  Paymaster- 
General's  office  at  Washington.  In  1864,  he  resigned  and  returned  to 
White,  and  the  same  fall  was  elected  County  Sheriff,  and  was  appointed 
Provost  Marshal.  In  1854,  he  had  been  admitted  to  the  bar,  but  did  not 
go  into  practice  until  1866;  in  March,  1881,  he  formed  his  present  part- 
nership with  T.  F.  Palmer.  He  was  married,  December  13,  1859,  to 
Miss  Mary  McConahay,  who  died  October  10,  1873,  the  mother  of  six 
children  —  George  (deceased),  William,  Charles,  Bertha,  Nina  and 
Edward.     Mr.  Sill  has  been  a  Mason  for  twenty-eight  years. 

REV.  J.  B.  SMITH,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Monti- 
cello, was  born  in  Union  County,  Ind.,  August  29,  1836.     His  parents, 


242  BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES: 

William  and  Mary  (Buck)  Smith,  are  dead.  He  was  reared  on  the  home 
farm  until  sixteen,  when  he  entered  Miami  University  at  Oxford,  from 
the  classical  course  of  which  he  graduated  in  1858.  The  fall  of  the  same 
year,  he  entered  the  Western  Theological  Seminary  at  Allegheny  City, 
Penn.,  and  graduated  therefrom  in  1861.  The  spring  of  1862,  he  was  made 
Chaplain  of  the  Nineteenth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  which  position  he 
resigned  in  August,  1865.  During  his  army  career,  Mr.  Smith  served 
as  Adjutant  General  during  the  race  between  Bragg  and  Buell  from  Bat- 
tle Creek,  Tenn.,  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  the  fall  of  1862 ;  he  also  served 
as  Provost  Marshal  of  the  Third  Brigade,  Third  Division,  Fourth  Army 
Corps,  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  three  months  during  the  summer 
of  1863,  while  the  army  lay  at  Murfreesboro.  After  resigning,  Mr. 
Smith  went  to  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  where  he  continued  his  theological 
studies  a  year,  since  when,  with  the  exception  of  seven  years  passed  in 
Ohio,  he  has  been  actively  engaged  in  ministerial  work  in  Indiana.  For 
two  years  preceding  his  settlement  in  Monticello,  in  1879,  he  was  Presi- 
dent of  Farmer  College,  College  Hill,  Ohio. 

JACOB  C.  SMITH,  editor  and  proprietor  of  The  National,  was 
born  in  La  Fayette,  Ind.,  January  28,  1845.  At  an  early  day,  his  par- 
ents moved  from  Ohio  to  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind.,  where  his  father  still 
resides,  and  where  his  mother  died  when  he  was  but  a  mere  lad.  On  the 
breaking-out  of  the  war,  although  very  young,  he  joined  the  Tenth  Indi- 
ana Regiment  as  drummer  boy,  remaining  as  such  until  the  consolidation 
of  his  company,  when  he  was  discharged.  In  1864,  he  again  enlisted, 
this  time  as  private  in  Company  C,  Sixty-ninth  Indiana  Volunteers,  and 
participated  in  several  hard  fought  engagements,  the  last  being  the  battle 
of  Mobile,  Ala.  On  his  return,  he  entered  the  office  of  the  Courier,  at 
La  Fayette,  as  "  devil,"  remaining  there  until  1869,  when  he  located  in 
Monticello.  For  five  years,  he  filled  the  position  of  foreman  on  the 
Monticello  Herald,  and  in  1873  married  Miss  Euphemia  Black.  In 
1875,  he  accepted  the  position  of  local  editor  of  the  Constitutionalist,  a 
Democratic  newspaper  published  in  Monticello  by  J.  W.  McEwen.  Mr. 
Smith  retained  this  position  until  the  paper  was  sold  to  other  parties. 
In  1878,  he  founded  The  National  at  Monticello,  and  by  his  energy  and 
ability,  has  made  it  one  of  the  best  advocates  of  the  National  party  in 
Indiana.  The  National  is  a  six-column  folio,  and  will  soon  enter  its 
sixth  year  of  existence.  It  is  a  bright,  newsy  paper,  enjoys  a  liberal 
advertising  patronage,  is  on  a  solid  foundation  financially,  and  is  cheap 
at  $1.50  per  year. 

DR.  WILLIAM  SPENCER  was  born  in  Zanesville,  Ohio,  Novem- 
ber 5,  1833,  and  is  the  son  of  Dr.  Robert  and  Eleanor  (Barnett)  Spen- 
cer, natives  respectively   of  Ohio  and   Washington,  D.  C.     Dr.  Robert 


CITY  OF  MONTICRLLO.  243 

Spencer  was  a  graduate  of  the  Ohio  Medical  College,  and  was  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  medicine  until  his  death  in  February,  1863.  In  1835, 
he  came  to  this  county,  and  remained  three  years,  working  at  carpenter- 
ing and  studying  medicine,  and  then  returned  to  Ohio,  graduated,  and 
for  ten  years  practiced  in  Ross  and  Muskingum  Counties.  In  1848,  he 
came  back  to  White  County,  his  four  brothers,  Benjamin,  George,  James 
and  Thomas,  having  preceded  him.  In  1855,  he  was  elected  Professor 
of  Anatomy  in  Cincinnati  College  of  Medicine,  and  retained  the  position 
seven  years.  In  1862,  he  was  made  Surgeon  of  the  Seventy-third  Indi- 
ana Volunteer  Infantry,  and  died  in  the  service.  His  widow  died  of 
heart  disease  a  few  years  later,  and  both  were  buried  in  the  cemetery  at 
Monticello.  Dr.  William  Spencer  began  the  study  of  medicine  under 
his  father,  and  graduated  from  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia, 
in  1855.  He  then  practiced  with  his  father  in  Monticello  until  1861, 
when  he  raised  and  was  made  Captain  of  Company  E,  Forty-sixth  Indi- 
ana Volunteer  Infantry.  At  the  end  of  seven  months,  he  resi 
commission  to  accept  an  appointment  as  Assistant  Surgeon  of  the  Seven- 
ty-third Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  While  attending  the  sick  and 
wounded  in  Morgan  County,  Ala.,  he  was  taken  prisoner,  April  30, 
1863,  and  detained  until  November  22,  when  he  was  exchanged.  April 
16,  1864,  he  was  appointed  Surgeon  of  the  Tenth  Tennessee  Cavalry. 
He  afterward  served  on  Gen.  Jackson's  staff,  and  held  various  other 
positions  until  his  discharge,  while  Surgeon  of  the  post  at  Johnsonville, 
August  5,  1865,  since  when  he  has  been  in  practice  in  Monticello,  where 
he  is  also  conducting  a  drug  store.  He  was  married,  January  1,  1856, 
to  Miss  Harriet  V.  Kistler,  who  has  borne  him  three  children — Charles, 
deceased  ;  Gertrude,  now  Mrs.  C.  D.  Meeker,  and  May.  The  Doctor 
owns,  besides  town  property,  nearly  2,000  acres  of  land  in  the  county, 
and  a  half  interest  in  the  bank  at  Fowler. 

JOSEPH  W.  STEWART,  County  Sheriff,  was  born  November  3, 
1839,  in  Henry  County,  Ky.,  and  is  one  of  twelve  children,  only  three 
of  whom  are  yet  living,  born  to  Hiram  and  Lucy  (Chilton)  Stewart,  both 
natives  of  Kentucky,  and  of  Scotch  and  English  descent.  John  Stewart, 
the  father  of  Hiram,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  Hiram  and  his 
family  came  to  Indiana  in  1845,  and  located  in  Tippecanoe  County,  just 
across  the  line  from  Prairie  Township,  this  county.  In  November,  1847, 
Mrs.  Stewart  died  of  consumption;  in  1850,  Hiram  and  his  family  moved 
into  this  county,  engaged  in  farming,  and  here  he  died  in  July,  1866. 
Joseph  W.  Stewart  was  reared  to  farming,  and  principally  in  Indiana. 
He  was  married,  February  5,  1863,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Gwin,  daughter  of 
Capt.  George  H.  Gwin,  of  Prairie  Township,  and  to  this  union  has  been 
born  one  child — Addie.     Mr.  Stewart  continued  farming  in  Prairie  Town- 


244  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

ship,  where  he  yet  owns  120  acres,  until  his  election  to  the  office  of 
Sheriff  in  1882,  when  he  moved  to  Monticello.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and 
both  he  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Free-Will  Baptist  Church. 

JOHN  M.  TURNER,  junior  member  of  one  of  the  leading  firms  of 
Monticello,  is  a  native  of  the  county  in  which  he  now  resides,  and  was 
born  February  1,  1847.  His  parents,  William  and  Susanna  (Imes) 
Turner  were  married  in  White  County  in  1843,  and  his  mother,  who  was 
born  in  Greene  County,  Ohio,  came  to  White  County,  Ind.,  with 
her  parents  in  1836.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turner  removed  to  Montgom- 
ery County,  Ohio,  in  about  1853,  where  Mrs.  Turner  died  in  May,  1878, 
and  where  Mr.  Turner  remarried  and  is  yet  living,  engaged  in  farming. 
John  M.  Turner  is  one  of  five  living  children,  in  a  family  of  seven,  and 
besides  receiving  the  common  school  benefits,  has  secured  a  good  com- 
mercial education.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  began  doing  for  himself, 
and  in  1867  became  a  partner  of  J.  H.  McCoUum,  at  Monticello,  which 
firm  has  continued  with  prosperity  until  the  present.  February  18,  1873, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Annie  E.  Anderson,  who  was  born 
and  reared  in  White  County,  and  to  them  have  been  born  two  children — 
Frank  A.  and  May.  Mr.  Turner  is  a  Democrat,  a  member  of  the  I.  0. 
0.  F.,  and  he  has  entire  charge  of  the  grain,  hay  and  fuel  business,  while 
Mr.  McCollum  has  supervision  of  the  firm's  large  store  on  Main  street. 

GEORGE  UHL,  one  of  five  children  born  to  John  and  Eva  K.  Uhl, 
was  born  in  Asch,  Austria,  July  21,  1842.  The  father  and  two  of  the 
children  dying  in  the  old  country,  the  mother  and  three  sons,  of  whom 
George  was  the  eldest,  emigrated  to  America  in  1854,  and  engaged  in 
farming  in  Huron  County,  Ohio,  remaining  there  until  1857,  when  they 
removed  to  Tippecanoe  Township,  Pulaski  County,  Ind.,  where  Mrs.  Uhl 
purchased  a  tract  of  swamp  land,  and  started  a  farm.  This  lady  is  yet 
living  near  the  site  of  her  first  settlement,  being  since  married  to  Henry 
Crites,  Esq.,  and  of  the  three  sons  who  came  with  her  to  this  country  two 
remain.  One,  John,  died  in  the  defense  of  his  adopted  country  during 
late  war.  George  Uhl  attended  the  common  schools  only  of  his  native 
and  this  country  prior  to  the  close  of  the  rebellion,  when  he  attended  the 
"  Male  and  Female  College  "  at  Valparaiso  two  years.  In  1867,  he  came 
to  reside  in  Monticello,  and  for  nearly  a  year  read  medicine  under  Dr. 
William  S.  Haymond.  Mr.  Uhl  is  a  Republican,  and  was  elected  by  his 
party,  in  1868,  County  Auditor,  and,  after  serving  four  years,  was  re- 
elected, with  an  increased  majority.  He  is  a  membter  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.; 
has  served  two  terms  as  Noble  Grand,  and  is  the  present  Commander  of 
Tippecanoe  Post,  No.  51,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Monticello.  December  12,  1872,  he 
married  Miss  Emily  C,  daughter  of  Dr.  Philo  Hamlin,  of  Juniata  County, 
Penn.,  and  to  their  union  have  been  born   three   children — Byron  H., 


CITY  OF  MONTICELLO.  245 

Agnes  E.  and  Stewart  C.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  While  a  resident  of  PuUiski  County,  Mr,  Uhl  came  lo  Rey- 
nolds, this  county,  and  here  joined  Company  K,  Twentieth  Indiana  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  and  shortly  thereafter  went  with  his  regiment  to  Mary- 
land, on  guard  duty  near  Baltimore.  The  fall  of  the  same  year,  they 
went  to  Cape  Hatteras,  remaining  there  several  weeks ;  thence  they  went 
to  Old  Point  Comfort,  at  Fortress  Monroe,  and  from  there,  early  in  1862, 
to  Newport  News,  where  Company  K  took  an  active  part  in  the  memor- 
able contest  between  the  rebel  ram  "  Merrimac,"  and  the  Union  frigates 
"Cumberland"  and  ''Congress."  The  succeeding  day  they  witnessed 
the  naval  engagement  between  the  ironclads  "Monitor"  and  Merrimac." 
The  regiment  took  part  in  the  capture  of  Norfolk  and  Portsmouth,  and 
were  then  transferred  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  arriving  in  front  of 
Richmond  before  the  commencement  of  the  "seven  days'  fight."  On  the 
30th  of  June,  1862,  at  the  battle  of  Gkndale,  Mr.  Uhl,  Capt.  Reed  and 
his  son  William — the  first  seriously  and  the  latter  mortally  wounded — 
and  others  of  their  company,  were  captured  and  taken  to  Richmond. 
Mr.  Uhl  was  alternately  incarcerated  in  Libby  and  Belle  Isle  Prisons 
until  the  September  following,  when  he  was  paroled  and  sent  to  the  hos- 
pital at  Annapolis.  After  recuperating  and  being  exchanged,  he  rejoined 
his  regiment  near  Fredericksburg.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  field 
with  his  regiment,  including  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  until  the 
beginning  of  the  Gettysburg  campaign,  when  he  was  assigned  duty  in  the 
Quartermaster's  department,  where  he  remained  until  relieved  and  ordered 
with  his  regiment  to  New  York  City  to  suppress  draft  riots  during  the 
summer  of  1863.  The  succeeding  fall  they  returned  to  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  participating  in  its  movements  and  battles,  until  February, 
1864,  when  he  re-enlisted,  together  with  most  of  his  regiment,  but  con- 
tinuing the  old  organization.  After  a  brief  visit  home  on  veteran  fur- 
lough, he  returned  Avith  iiis  regiment  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Mr. 
Uhl  participated  in  the  ''Battle  of  the  Wilderness,"  on  the  Po,  at  Spott- 
sylvania.  North  Ann,  Cold  Harbor,  Deep  Bottom,  Weldon  Railroad, 
Hatcher's  Run,  and  the  numerous  and  almost  incessant  engagements  in 
the  final  siege  of  Petersburg,  in  one  of  which  he  had  a  portion  of  his  loft 
ear  shot  away.  During  a  part  of  this  time  he,  as  First  Sergeant,  liad 
command  of  the  remnant  of  Company  K.  Upon  the  25tli  of  March,  1865, 
in  front  of  Petersburg,  the  Twentieth  had  its  last  engagement,  in  which 
Mr.  Uhl  was  struck  by  a  cannon  ball,  almost  severing  his  left  limb  from 
the  body,  and  that  night,  of  the  original  company  starting  from  Reynolds 
in  1861,  only  two  were  there  to  answer  at  roll  call.  After  his  recovery 
at  Army  Square  Hospital,  Washington,  D.  C,  Mr.  Uhl  was  discharged 
from  the  United  States  service  in  July,  1865. 


246  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

W.  E.  UHL  was  born  in  Carroll  County,  Ind.,  October  25,  1848, 
and  is  the  only  survivor  of  the  three  children  born  to  Peter  and  Emma 
(Saunders)  Uhl,  natives  of  Virginia  and  England.  Peter  Uhl  is  a  farmer, 
and  is  now  living  in  Fulton  County,  Ind.  W.  E.  Uhl  was  quite  liberally 
educated,  and  in  his  earlier  days  was  a  school  teacher.  His  mother  died 
in  1853,  and  he  was  that  year  brought  to  this  county  by  his  grandpar- 
ents, William  and  Matilda  Saunders.  In  1857,  however,  he  returned  to 
his  father  in  Fulton  County.  In  1870,  he  came  to  Monticello  and  entered 
the  law  office  of  A.  W.  Reynolds,  remaining  there  two  years  and  then 
beginning  practice.  In  1872,  he  was  elected  Prosecutor  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas  for  White,  Carroll  and  Benton  Counties,but  the  office  was 
abolished  in  1873,  and  the  Circuit  Court  of  Tippecanoe  and  White  Coun- 
ties established,  and  of  this  he  was  appointed  Prosecuting  Attorney  in 
March,  and  at  a  special  election  in  October  was  elected  to  the  office,  which 
he  filled  until  1875,  when  the  circuit  was  changed  to  the  Thirty-ninth 
Judicial  Circuit,  comprising  Carroll,  White  and  Pulaski  Counties,  to 
which  he  was  appointed  Prosecutor,  which  office  he  held  until  October, 
1876.  He  continued  the  practice  of  law  alone  until  January  1,  1880, 
when  he  formed  a  partnership  with  H.  P.  Owens,  which  partnership  was 
dissolved  January  1,  1883.  Mr.  Uhl  was  married,  October  15,  1874,  to 
Miss  Fannie  A.  Brown,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and  to  this  union  has  been 
born  one  child — Fara.  Mr.  Uhl  is  a  Democrat,  and  as  a  counselor  at  law 
is  meeting  with  abundant  success. 

ZACHARIAH  VAN  BUSKIRK,  deceased,  one  of  the  first  of 
White  County's  pioneers,  was  a  native  of  Hampshire  County,  Va.,  and 
was  born  August  18,  1808.  His  advent  in  White  County  was  in  the  year 
1833,  when  but  few  settlers  were  living  within  its  borders,  and  those  were 
far  outnumbered  by  the  Indians.  Mr.  Van  Buskirk  located  at  Monticello, 
and  his  worldly  possessions  at  that  time  consisted  of  the  clothes  on  his 
back  and  50  cents  in  money  ;  but  aside  from  these  he  possessed  a  strong 
heart  and  willing  hands,  and  thus  equipped  began  working  at  his  trade 
of  carpenter  and  joiner.  This  was  his  occupation  for  twenty-two  years, 
and  many  of  his  neighbors  had  reason  to  remember  him  as  the  builder  of 
the  cabins  in  which  they  resided.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Mc- 
Minn  December  25,  1848,  and  soon  after  this  event  built  the  house  now 
known  as  the  Switzer  property,  on  Main  street,  in  which  he  passed  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  At  one  time,  during  his  early  residence  here,  he 
served  the  public  as  County  Assessor,  performing  the  duties  of  this  office 
in  person  and  making  the  entire  canvass  of  the  county  on  foot.  He 
afterward  served  as  Democratic  Township  Trustee  for  a  number  of  years. 
Owing  to  asthmatic  trouble,  he  was  compelled  to  abandon  his  trade  in 
course  of  time,  and  for  several  years  pursued  the  calling  of  house-painter. 


CITY  OF  MONTICELLO.  247 

but  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade.  He  died 
June  24,  1866,  preceded  by  his  wife  two  years.  They  were  the  parents 
of  three  children — Jay  B.,  William  H.  and  Leacy  C,  the  last  two  named 
being  twins,  and  the  last  deceased.  Jay  B.  Van  Buskirk  was  born  No- 
vember 5,  1850,  graduated  from  the  classical  course  of  Asbury  Univer- 
sity in  1872,  and  in  November,  1874,  became  a  partner  of  W.  J.  Huff 
in  the  proprietorship  and  publication  of  the  Monticello  Herald,  one  of 
the  best  county  newspapers  in  Northern  Indiana.  November  25,  1875, 
he  married  Miss  Emma  Coen,  and  they  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  of  Monticello. 

S.  R.  VINSON,  of  Roberts  &  Vinson,  hardware  dealers,  is  a  mem- 
ber of  one  of  the  oldest  families  of  White  County,  his  parents  being  Isaac 
S.  and  Rebecca  (Johnson)  Vinson.  S.  R.  Vinson  was  born  October  18, 
1840,  in  West  Point  Township,  White  County,  receiving  in  youth  a  fair 
education.  He  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Twenty-seventh  Indiana  Volun- 
teer Infantry  on  the  12th  of  September,  1861,  and  after  remaining  at 
Camp  Morton  about  a  month,  was  ordered  into  active  duty,  and  the  first 
important  engagement  in  which  he  participated  was  Ball's  Bluff.  After 
this,  Mr.  Vinson  participated  in  the  battles  of  Newmarket,  second  Win- 
chester, second  Bull  Run  and  Antietam,  and  at  this  last-named  engage- 
ment he  was  wounded  by  a  ball  in  the  ankle.  He  was  an  inmate  of  Find- 
lay  Hospital  at  Washington,  D.  C,  for  some  time,  and  succeeding  his 
recovery  was  employed  as  hospital  clerk  until  he  was  finally  discharged 
with  his  regiment  September  12,  1864.  He  then  came  home,  and  shortly 
afterward  embarked  in  railroading,  being  first  stationed  in  Iowa,  subse- 
quently at  Windfall,  Crown  Point,  and  lastly  at  Elwood,  in  Indiana.  In 
May,  1882,  he  discontinued  railroad  life,  took  a  trip  out  through  Colo- 
rado, New  Mexico  and  Kansas,  then  returned  to  the  county  of  his  birth 
to  settle  down  into  a  steady  business.  He  formed  a  partnership  with  E. 
P.  Roberts  in  the  hardware  trade  in  Monticello,  and  this  firm  is  doing  a 
good  business,  carrying  a  full  stock  of  everything  to  be  found  in  a  first- 
class  store  of  its  kind.  Mr.  Vinson  is  a  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  I. 
O.  0.  F.;  he  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  November  22,  1871,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lizzie  A.  Firth,  of  Reynolds.  They  have 
two  children — Maud  and  Hattie. 

JAMES  V.  VINSON  was  born  in  this  county  February  2,  1845, 
and  is  one  of  the  five  living  children  of  the  thirteen  born  to  Isaac  S.  and 
Rebecca  P.  (Johnson)  Vinson,  natives  of  Ohio,  who  came  to  this  county 
about  the  year  1838.  James  V.  was  reared  in  the  backwoods  of  White 
County  until  sixteen  years  old.  Then,  in  July,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany K,  Twentieth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  at  Cape  Hat- 
teras,  Fortress  Monroe  and  Newport  News ;    he  participated  in  the  en- 


248  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

gagement  between  the  Congress  and  the  Merrimac  and  Cumberland,  and 
the  next  day  witnessed  the  fight  between  the  Monitor  and  Merrimac. 
He  assisted  in  the  reduction  of  Norfolk  and  Portsmouth,  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  was  with  his  regiment  in  all  its 
engagements.  At  Chancellorsville,  he  was  slightly  wounded.  At  this 
point  the  Sixth  New  Hampshire  battery  lost  nearly  all  its  men,  and  a  call 
was  made  for  volunteers  from  the  ranks  to  fill  the  battery,  Mr.  V.  being 
one  of  the  first.  He  served  with  it  at  second  Bull  Run,  where  he  was 
taken  prisoner,  but  luckily  was  paroled  on  the  field.  He  served  out  his 
parole  at  Annapolis,  and  rejoined  his  regiment  just  before  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg,  in  which  he  was  an  active  participant  At  the  battle  of  the 
Wilderness,  he  was  shot  by  a  minie  ball  through  the  left  leg,  from  the 
effects  of  which  he  still  suffers.  After  his  final  discharge,  dated  in  July, 
but  not  received  until  September,  1864,  he  came  back  to  White  County, 
and,  being  disabled,  learned  telegraphy;  since  1866,  he  has  occupied  the 
position  of  agent  for  the  Pittsburgh,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railroad  Com- 
pany, at  the  Pan  Handle  depot.  Monticello.  Mr.  V.  was  married,  in 
1865,  to  Margaret  A.  Burns,  who  has  borne  him  two  children — Charles 
R.  and  Frank  E.  In  politics,  Mr.  V.  is  a  Republican ;  he  is  a  Mason,  a 
Knight  of  Pythias  and  also  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R. 

H.  VAN  VOORST,  County  Auditor,  was  born  in  Lucas  County, 
Ohio,  February  27,  1844.  His  father,  Abram  Van  Voorst,  was  a  native 
of  New  York  State,  and  was  three  times  married — first,  to  Mary  Murray, 
who  bore  him  three  children,  two  yet  living,  our  subject  being  the  youngest. 
Mrs.  Van  Voorst  died  in  1849.  In  1850,  the  father  brought  his  two 
children  to  this  county,  and  in  1852  married  Sarah  Irvine.  August  7, 
1861,  Henry  Van  Voorst  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Twenty-seventh  In- 
diana Volunteer  Infantry,  and  for  two  years  served  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  taking  part  in  the  battles  of  Winchester,  Cedar  Mountain, 
second  Bull  Run,  Antietam,  at  which  last  he  was  wounded  in  the  head. 
Gangrene  set  in,  and  for  two  months  he  was  confined  in  the  hospital  at 
Philadelphia.  His  next  engagement  was  at  Chancellorsville,  where  he 
was  wounded  in  the  thigh  by  a  fragment  of  a  shell,  and  was  sent  to  the 
Lincoln  Hospital,  at  Washington.  After  a  short  furlough,  he  rejoined 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  in  the  fall  of  1863  was  transferred  to  the 
Army  of  the  West,  under  Gen.  Hooker.  He  was  wounded  in  the  right 
hip  by  a  shell,  at  Resaca,  was  sent  to  hospital  at  Nashville,  and  finally 
discharged  October  13,  1864.  On  his  return,  he  clerked,  taught  school, 
learned  telegraphy,  and  was  station  agent  at  Reynolds  four  years.  In 
1876,  he  was  elected  County  Auditor,  and  re-elected  in  1880.  He  was 
married,  December  24,  1868,  to  Mrs.  Ellen  Bunnell,  who  has  borne  him 
two  children — Bertie  and  Fred.  Mr.  Van  Voorst  is  a  Republican,  and 
his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


CITY  OF  MONTICELLO.  249 


lan- 


JOHN  H.  WALLACE  was  born  in  Kingston,  Ross  Co.,  Ohio,  Jf 
uary  28,  1847,  and  is  the  son  of  William  B.  and  Mary  (Adamson)  Wal- 
lace. The  family  located  in  Big  Creek  Township,  this  county,  about 
1857,  engaged  in  farming,  and  there  the  parents  yet  reside.  'Mr.  Wal- 
lace began  for  himself  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  November  23,  1864,  he 
enlisted  in  Company  G,  Thirty-fifth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  He 
took  part  in  the  Nashville  campaign,  in  which  the  battles  of  Charleston, 
Pulaski  and  Nashville  were  fought.  In  July,  1865,  his  regiment  left 
New  Orleans  for  Texas,  and  September  30,  1865,  was  discharged  at 
Victoria.  Mr.  Wallace  was  paid  off  at  Indianapolis  in  October,  and  then 
returned  to  White  County,  where  he  has  ever  since  resided.  In  1870, 
he  began  reading  law  in  the  office  of  ElJis  Hughes,  at  Monticello;  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  March,  1872,  and  the  succeeding  month  began 
practice.  In  1874,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  State  Supreme 
Court,  and  in  1875  was  admitted  to  the  United  States  Supreme  Court. 
In  1872,  he  became  Deputy  Prosecuting  Attorney:  in  1876,  he  was 
elected  on  the  Republican  ticket  to  the  office  of  Prosecuting  Attorney, 
and  in  1878  was  re-elected.  While  holding  this  office,  he  was  instru- 
mental in  sending  thirty-four  men  to  the  penitentiary,  and  two  women  to 
the  penal  department  of  the  reformatory  at  Indianapolis.  He  was  mar- 
ried, September  9,  1874,  to  Miss  Susie  Mills,  who  died  November  27 
of  the  same  year.  December  5,  1877,  he  married  Anna  Ripley,  who  has 
borne  him  one  daughter — Bessie.  Mr.  Wallace  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0. 
0.  F.,  K.  of  P.  and  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  takes  rank  among  the  most  suc- 
cessful criminal  lawyers  of  the  State. 

A.  H.  WIRT,  dentist,  is  a  native  of  Allentown,  Lehigh  Co.,  Penn., 
and  was  born  March  17,  1828.  At  the  age  of  six  years,  he  was  left  to 
battle  with  the  realities  of  life  by  the  death  of  his  father,  and,  although 
among  relatives,  his  experience  for  the  first  eight  years  was  anything  but 
pleasant.  When  fourteen  years  old,  he  was  bound  out  to  learn  tailoring, 
but  being  brutally  treated  by  his  preceptor,  three  times  ran  away,  the 
first  two  times  being  overtaken  and  brought  back.  When  seventeen  years 
old,  he  ran  away  the  third  time,  and  in  spite  of  his  guardian's  persua- 
sions to  return,  asserted  his  determination  of  being  a  man  and  doing  for 
himself  among  strangers.  Never  liking  the  tailor's  trade,  he  discontinued 
it  in  1848,  and  began  the  study  of  dentistry  at  Mauch  Chunk,  afterward 
at  Allentown.  After  four  year's  instruction,  he  began  work  on  his  own 
responsibility  in  his  native  town,  but  subsequently  worked  at  his  profes- 
sion in  different  places  in  Pennsylvania,  during  which  time  he  obtained  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  practical  dentistry.  In  1858,  he  first  came  to 
Monticello,  and  opening  an  office  was  not  long  in  establishing  a  good  prac- 
tice.    On  his  arrival,  his  total  possessions,  besides  the  clothes  on  his  back 


250  BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES: 

and  the  instruments  of  his  profession,  consisted  of  just  5  cents  in  money. 
He  has  been  enabled  to  secure  a  good  home  by  diligence  and  economy,  and 
is  one  of  the  progressive  and  substantial  men  of  Monticello.  To  the  mar- 
riage of  Dr.  Wirt  and  Miss  Grace  Tilton,  which  occurred  in  the  fall  of 
1859,  have  been  born  four  children — William,  Zebulon,  Rebecca  and 
Mary  Grace.  Dr.  Wirt  cast  his  first  vote  with  the  Whig  party,  but  in 
1856  voted  for  Col.  John  C.  Fremont,  and  has  since  been  a  Republican, 
He  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the  Sovereigns  of  the  Red  Star. 


UNION   TOWNSHIP. 

ROBERT  R.  BRECKENRIDGE  was  born  in  Washington  County, 
Ohio,  November  21,  1844.  Of  the  ten  children  born  to  his  parents,  John 
and  Martha  (Dunlap)  Breckenridge,  only  five  are  now  living,  and  these 
reside  in  Union  Township.  John  Breckenridge  and  wife  were  both 
natives  of  Scotland,  where  they  were  married  and  where  Mr.  Brecken- 
ridge learned  the  trade  of  cabinet-making.  They  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
the  United  States  in  about  1835,  and  for  ten  years  and  a  half  resided  in 
Washington  County,  Ohio.  They  then  removed  to  Indiana,  locating  in 
Tippecanoe  County,  and  five  and  a  half  years  later  moved  to  the  farm 
now  owned  by  Daniel  McCuaig,  in  Union  Township.  Mr.  Breckenridge 
died  here  December  28,  1870,  followed  by  his  widow  some  years  later. 
Like  the  majority  of  his  countrymen  in  White  County,  Mr.  Breckenridge 
retained  many  of  the  virtues  instilled  into  his  mind  while  in  the  old  coun- 
try, among  which  was  his  faithful  adherence  to  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
Robert  R.  Breckenridge  was  reared  a  farmer,  and  such  has  always  been 
his  occupation.  After  receiving  a  good  commercial  education,  he  began 
teaching  school,  and  of  the  seven  terms  he  has  taught,  four  have  been 
in  White  County.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  began  doing  for  him- 
self, and  for  a  few  years  farmed  in  White  County,  afterward  spending 
about  three  years  in  Illinois  and  Kansas.  In  1871,  he  located  perma- 
nently in  Union  Township,  and  has  ever  since  resided  here.  He  owns  125 
acres  of  good  land,  and  was  married,  December  18,  1873,  to  Miss  Jane 
Reynolds,  daughter  of  John  Reynolds,  deceased,  and  they  have  had  two 
children — George  C.  and  Mabel  (deceased).  The  mother  was  born  Sep- 
tember 29,  1854,  in  White  County.  Mr.  Breckenridge,  in  politics,  is  a 
Democrat,  and  has  served  Union  Township  over  five  years  as  Trustee. 
He  and  wife  aremembers  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 

JAMES  BURNS,  a  native  of  Mifflin  County,  Penn.,  was  born  near 
Lewistown   November  10,  1825,  is   one  of  four   surviving  children  in  a 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  251 

family  of  eight,  and  is  one  of  Union  Township's  progressive  citizens. 
Hugh  and  Elizabeth  (Turner)  Burns,  his  parents,  were  also  natives  of 
Mifflin  County,  and  of  Scotch  and  Irish  descent  respectively.  The  spring 
of  1835,  Hugh  Burns  and  family  removed  to  Montgomery  County,  Ohio, 
remaining  there  four  and  a  half  years,  engaged  in  farming,  but  the  fall  of 
1839,  they  again  started  Westward,  intending  to  settle  near  Springfield, 
111,  After  leaving  La  Fayette,  Ind.,  they  missed  the  road  and  by  acci- 
dent wandered  to  White  County,  where,  meeting  an  old  schoolmate,  John 
Rothrock,  since  deceased,  he  was  induced  by  him  to  settle  permanently 
here.  Mr.  Burns  located  in  Union  Township,  two  miles  south  of  Mon- 
ticello,  where  he  died  in  about  1842,  followed  by  his  widow  some  twenty 
years  later.  James  Burns  made  his  home  with  his  widowed  mother  until 
her  death,  shortly  after  which  he  moved  to  where  he  now  resides  and  en- 
gaged in  farming.  He  was  reared  principally  in  White  County,  acquired 
a  fair  education,  and  in  1865  married  Mrs.  Mary  Jane  Burns,  a  daughter 
of  John  Burns,  of  Big  Creek  Township.  Three  sons  were  born  to  this 
union,  the  last  named  being  dead — Samuel  E.,  Bertie  and  John.  The 
mother  died  in  August,  1877,  and  in  May,  1880,  Mr.  Burns  married 
Susan  Ferry,  whose  parents  now  reside  in  York  County,  Neb.  He  owns 
a  farm  of  105  acres,  is  a  Democrat  and  the  present  Road  Superintendent 
of  Union  Township. 

A.  CORNELL,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Rosanna  (Foley)  Cornell,  was 
born  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  September  29,1811,  and  was  reared 
in  Clarke  County,  same  State.  In  1832,  he  and  parents  moved  to  Elk- 
hart County,  Ind.  ;  in  1834,  he  came  to  this  county  and  engaged  in 
school  teaching  and  farming.  In  the  fall  of  1834,  he  returned  to  Elkhart 
County,  where  he  owned  land,  and  April  2,  1835,  he  married  Mary 
Worthington.  In  1844,  he  came  back  to  White  County,  and  followed 
farming  in  Jackson  and  Liberty  Townships  until  1853,  when  he  moved 
to  Kansas.  January  1,  1861,  notwithstanding  his  age,  he  enlisted  in  the 
Sixteenth  Kansas  Cavalry,  and  was  soon  detailed  as  Veterinary  Surgeon, 
in  which  position  he  remained  until'  his  discharge,  December  6, 1865.  He 
then  returned  to  Kansas,  but  in  1876  came  back  to  remain  permanently 
in  White  County.  His  wife  died  August  19,  1849,  the  mother  of  three 
children — Sarah  A.,  now  Mrs.  G.  W.  Scott ;  Mary  J.,  now  Mrs.  J.  M. 
Humphrey ;  and  Martha  M.,  now  Mrs.  B.  F.  Moore.  Mr.  Cornell  was 
re-married,  but  his  second  wife,  Mary  Ann  Simpson,  survived  her  mar- 
riage but  two  months.  Mr.  Cornell  is  now  living  with  his  youngest 
daughter  in  this  township.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  DUNLAP  is  a  native  of  the  Highlands  of  Scotland,  born  in 
Argylshire  December  8,  1808.     He  was  reared  to  manhood  in  his  native 


252  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

country,  received  only  an  ordinary  schooling,  and  the  fall  of  1834  shipped 
on  board  the  brig  "  Nora,"  bound  from  Grennock  to  New  York,  arriving 
at  the  destined  port  after  a  voyage  of  six  weeks  and  three  days.  On 
this  same  vessel  David  Breckenridge  and  family  took  passage,  and,  on 
their  arrival  in  this  country  Mr.  Dunlap  and  the  Breckenridge  family 
found  homes  in  Washington  County,  Ohio,  where  they  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. It  was  here  on  the  20th  of  November,  1835,  that  Mr.  Dunlap 
married  Charlotte  Breckenridge,  who  was  born  February  12,  1814,  in 
Argylshire,  Scotland.  In  1851,  Mr.  Dunlap  and  wife  moved  from  Wash- 
ington County,  Ohio,  to  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind.,  remaining  there  only 
a  few  months.  The  fall  of  1851,  he  came  to  White  County  and  purchased 
300  acres  of  new  land  in  Union  Township,  and  the  succeeding  spring 
moved  his  family  to  this  place,  erected  a  house  and  has  lived  here  ever 
since.  He  and  wife  have  had  twelve  children  born  to  them,  only  the  fol- 
lowing named  are  yet  living — Charlotte  (Mrs.  J.  P.  Henderson),  Mary 
(Mrs.  George  Cowger),  Andrew,  Martha  and  Margaret  (Mrs.  Charles 
Page).  Mr.  and  Mr.  Dunlap  have  been  hard-working  and  industrious 
people,  have  passed  through  many  of  the  inconveniences  of  pioneer  life, 
and  by  industry  and  economy  have  secured  a  good  home  to  shelter  them 
in  their  old  age.  Mr.  Dunlap,  although  passed  threescore  and  ten  years, 
is  yet  hale  and  hearty,  and  is  one  of  the  county's  best  citizens.  He  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics,  has  served  Union  Township  five  years  as  Trustee, 
and  he  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

BENJAMIN  B.  GLAZIER,  a  farmer  of  Southern  Union  Township, 
was  born  at  Delphi,  Ind.,  July  3,  1840,  and  his  father  was  Henry  R. 
Glazier,  a  native  of  Vermont,  a  potter  by  trade,  and  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Carroll  County.  Henry  R.  Glazier  operated  the  first  carding  and 
cloth-dressing  machine  in  Carroll  County,  afterward  starting  the  first 
pottery  in  Delphi.  His  wife  was  Margaret  Barnhart,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
and  four  children  were  born  to  them,  two  of  whom  are  yet  living.  Mr. 
Glazier  departed  this  life  in  1846,  and  about  a  year  after  this  event  his 
widow  married  Philip  Wolverton,  together  moving  to  White  County  in 
March,  1848,  settling  in  Big  Creek  Township.  Mrs.  Wolverton  bore  her 
second  husband  two  children,  and  died  in  1878,  preceded  by  Mr.  Wolver- 
ton about  eight  years.  Benjamin  B.  Glazier  has  always  made  his  home 
in  White  County  from  the  time  he  was  seven  years  ol  d.  His  educational 
advantages  were  limited,  but  by  studying  nights  and  taking  advantage  of 
unoccupied  time,  he  was  enabled  to  acquire  sufiicient  education,  to  teach 
school.  He  became  a  member  of  Company  D,  Twelfth  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  in  August,  1863,  and  participated  in  every  campaign  and  mpve: 
ment  of  his  company,  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  finally  discharged 
June  5,  1865.     He  then  returned  to  White  County,  and  the  winter  of 


UNION   TOWNSHIP.  253 

1865  taught  his  last  terra  of  school,  since  when  he  has  been  engaged  in 
farming.  March  15,  1866,  his  marriage  with  Harriet  Hornbeck  was 
solemnized,  and  the  following  family  was  the  result  of  their  union:  Minnie, 
Wilda  M.,  deceased,  Margaret  and  one  that  died  in  infancy,  without  being 
named.  Mr.  Glazier  is  a  Republican  and  has  served  Big  Creek  Town- 
ship as  Assessor  two  years.  He  owns  a  farm  of  115  acres  in  Union 
Township,  resides  on  Section  28,  and  he  and  wife  belong  to  the  United 
Brethren  Church. 

JOSEPH  PRICE,  son  of  Peter  Price,  deceased,  a  sketch  of  whom 
will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume,  was  born  in  Mifflin  County,  Penn., 
February  7,  1829,  and  at  the  age  of  two  years  was  brought  to  what  was 
then  Carroll  County,  by  his  parents.  September  15,  1852,  he  married 
Ellen  Cochell,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  that  same  year  moved  to 
his  present  place  in  Jefferson  Township,  Carroll  County,  Ind.,  two  and 
one  half  miles  from  Monticello.  To  his  marriage  there  have  been  born 
nine  children,  viz.:  Isaac,  deceased,  Mary  A.,  deceased;  Franklin,  who 
married  Ella  Plummer,  and  resides  in  this  township  ;  Peter  P.,  deceased  ; 
Emma,  who  was  married  to  Philip  Wolverton  and  died,  leaving  one  child, 
Margaret  E.;  Evaline,  John  L.,  Ida  M.,  and  one — the  first  born — that 
died  in  infancy  unnamed.  Mrs.  Price  died  November  4,  1873,  and  June 
10,  1874,  Mr.  Price  married  Maria  L.  Stout,  who  has  borne  him  three 
children — Josie,  deceased ;  Benjamin  and  Edna.  Mr.  Price  owns  480 
acres  of  land  in  this  county,  and  about  an  equal  number  in  Carroll  County; 
he  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  Republican,  and  he  and  wife  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

EMANUEL  REISH,  of  the  Norway  Mills,  is  a  native  of  Union 
County,  Penn.,  where  he  was  born  October  6,  1833.  He  is  a  son  of 
Solomon  and  Lydia  (Stees)  Reish,  who  are  of  German  descent  and  also 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1843,  the  Reish  family  moved  to  Colum- 
biana County,  Ohio,  and  eight  years  later  emigrated  to  Huntington,  Ind. 
From  this  place  they  removed  to  White  County  in  1853,  settled  in  Lib- 
erty Township  and  engaged  in  farming.  In  1865,  the  parents  moved  to 
Francesville,  Pulaski  County,  where  both  are  yet  living.  Emanuel  Reish 
is  the  eldest  of  five  children,  one  being  deceased.  He  was  reared  on  a 
farm  ;  began  doing  for  himself  the  fall  of  1853,  and,  July  10,  1854,  was 
married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Summers,  of  Columbiana  County,  Ohio.  Two 
children  were  born  to  this  union,  both  of  whom  are  now  dead,  and  the 
mother  departed  this  life  August  23,  1863.  Mr.  Reish  followed  farming 
until  the  past  few  years,  and  he  yet  owns  190  acres  good  land  in  Liberty 
Township,  all  of  which  he  has  acquired  by  hard  work  and  economy.  Sep- 
tember 29,  1864,  he  married  his  first  wife's  sister,  Miss  Sally  Summers, 
and  February  12th,  1878,  he  traded  one  of  his  farms  in  Liberty  Town- 


254  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

ship  for  a  half  interest  in  the  flouring  mills  at  Norway,  to  which  place  he 
moved  in  April,  1878.  Mr.  Reish  is  among  the  progressive  citizens  of 
White  County,  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  a  member  of  the  A.  0.  U.  W., 
and  Mrs.  Reish  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church. 

B.  K.  ROACH,  President  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Association  of  White 
County,  was  born  in  Allegheny  County,  Penn.,  May  16,  1810,  and  is  the 
youngest  of  a  family  of  fourteen  children  born  to  Peter  and  Sarah  (Kep- 
ner)  Roach,  all  reared  to  maturity,  but  of  whom  there  are  only  two  now 
living.  Peter  Roach  came  from  Ireland ;  his  wife  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  is  of  German  descent.  B.  K.  Roach  was  a  small  boy  when 
his  parents  moved  to  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared  to 
manhood.  October  10,  1833,  he  married  Eliza  J.  Thompson,  who  was 
born  in  Columbiana  County,  in  August,  1814.  To  this  union  were  born 
nine  children,  viz. :  Nancy  C,  Sarah  A.,  Margaret  J.,  Thomas  D., 
James  B.,  William  (deceased),  John  T.,  David  G.,  and  Robert  Gr. 
(deceased).  In  September,  1862,  the  parents  came  to  this  township,  and 
settled  on  484  acres  of  raw  land.  Here  Mrs.  Roach  died  January  31, 
1879,  a  faithful  adherent  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  Mr. 
Roach  also  has  been  a  member  for  the  past  forty  years. 

THOMAS  D.  ROACH  was  born  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio, 
January  10,  1840,  and  came  first  to  this  county  in  July,  1861 ;  then  vis- 
ited Jasper  County,  and  returned  to  this  county  in  August,  1862,  and 
enlisted  in  Company  G,  Sixty-third  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  He 
was  on  detached  duty  at  Indianapolis  until  February,  1864,  when  he 
joined  his  regiment  at  Camp  Nelson,  in  Kentucky.  His  first  fight  was 
at  Resaca,  on  the  15th  and  16th  of  May,  1864 ;  he  then  took  part  in  the 
fights  at  Kenesaw  Mountain  and  Big  Shanty,  and  the  siege  of  Atlanta; 
then  he  joined  Gen.  Thomas  at  Knoxville,  fighting  at  Columbia  and 
Franklin,  Tenn ;  then  went  to  Nashville,  taking  part  in  the  fight  of  the 
15th  and  16th  of  December,  1864 ;  then  to  Virginia  and  to  Fort  Fisher, 
N.  C,  and  to  Wilmington.  He  received  his  final  discharge  at  Greens- 
boro, June  21,  1865,  and  since  then  he  has  resided  in  this  county. 

JAMES  B.  ROACH  was  born  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  October 
17,  1842,  and  came  to  White  County  November  7,  1861,  where  he 
taught  two  terms  of  school,  and  then  engaged  in  farming.  August  9, 
1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Sixty-third  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  on  the  organization  of  the  company  was  made  Corporal.  He  was 
placed  on  detached  duty  in  the  ofiice  of  Capt.  Bradner,  Provost  Marshal 
at  Indianapolis,  where  he  remained  about  one  year,  and  then  joined  his 
regiment  at  Camp  Nelson,  receiving  his  discharge  at  David's  Island  Hos- 
pital, Long  Island,  June  20,  1865.  For  thirteen  years  after  his  return, 
he  engaged  in  clerking  in  Monticello,  but  is  now  employed  in  stock-rais- 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  255 

ing  and  working  his  farm  of  eighty  acres.  He  was  married,  December 
18,  1872,  to  Mary  S.  Berkey,  daughter  of  Michael  and  Margaret  (Logan) 
Berkey,  who  were  among  White  County's  oldest  settlers.  He  has  had 
born  to  him  two  children — Margaret  B.  and  Frank  B. 

ROBERT  ROTHROCK,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  county,  was 
born  in  Mifflin  County,  Penn.,  February  19,  1807,  and  died  in  White 
County,  Ind.,  February  17,  1882,  a  member  of  long  standing  in  the 
Christian  Church.  He  came  to  what  is  now  White  County  when  it  was 
all  a  wilderness,  and  entered  from  the  Government  the  land  on  which 
Monticello  now  stands.  In  the  fall  of  1832,  he  married  Eliza  Means^ 
who  died  in  the  fall  of  the  following  year,  leaving  no  children.  In  1837, 
he  married  Catherine  McKee,  who  bore  him  seven  children— Robert 
McK.,  William  M.,  Mary  H.,  Orpah  S.,  Hervey  P.,  John  A.  and  Joseph 
T.  The  mother  died  August  20,  1855,  and  in  1856  Mr.  Rothrock  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Mowrer,  who  has  borne  him  three  children,  of  whom  two 
are  living — Kate  V.,  now  Mrs.  John  R.  Cowger,  and  Lizzie,  now  Mrs. 
James  Worthington.  James  was  the  second  born  to  this  union,  but  died 
in  infancy.  Of  the  seven  children  born  to  Mr.  R,  's  second  marriage, 
three  are  married,  viz.:  Robert,  Mary  (Mrs.  H.  W.  Sanderson),  and 
Orpah  (Mrs.  James  L.  Goodwin). 

WILLIAM  ROTHROCK,  a  pioneer  of  White  County,  and  one  of 
its  most  substantial  citizens,  was  born  in  Mifflin  County,  Penn.,  August 
28,  1821,  and  became  a  resident  of  Union  Township  when  only  ten 
years  old.  John  Rothrock,  his  father,  was  of  German  descent,  a  farmer, 
and  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being  Mary  Ann  Keifer.  Their 
union  was  solemnized  March  20,  1806,  and  a  family  of  eight  children 
born  to  them,  only  two  of  whom  are  now  living.  The  mother  died 
November  12,  1822,  and  for  his  last  wife  Mr.  Rothrock  married  Mrs. 
Sarah  Hopper,  and,  in  1831,  the  family  came  to  what  is  now  White 
County,  Ind.  Mr.  Rothrock  had  looked  up  this  location  in  1830,  and 
on  their  arrival  he  obtained  full  possession  of  the  property,  having  left 
sufficient  money  with  a  friend  at  Delphi  to  purchase  the  land  as  soon  as 
,it  came  into  market.  The  family  was  sheltered  by  a  tent  until  a  log 
cabin,  12x14  feet,  was  erected,  and  this  was  their  home  for  many  years. 
Here  Mr.  Rothrock  and  family  encountered  all  the  trials  and  inconven- 
iences of  a  pioneer's  life,  going  forty  or  fifty  miles  for  milling  and 
marketing,  obtaining  but  very  little  for  their  produce,  and  paying  the 
highest  prices  for  provisions,  etc.  Mrs.  Rothrock  died  in  about  1886, 
Mr.  Rothrock  surviving  her  until  February  10,  1860,  when  he,  too,  died. 
William  Rothrock,  from  the  time  he  was  ten  years  old  to  the  present, 
has  always  lived  in  White  County.  November  11,  1848,  he  married 
Elizabeth  Cockell,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Mifflin  County,  Penn.,  com- 


256  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

ing  to  White  County  with  her  parents  in  1846.  The  names  of  the  chil- 
dren born  to  them  are — Mary  J.  (Mrs.  Samuel  Hornbeck),  Sarah  A., 
Martha,  Eliza  (Mrs.  F.  Britton),  and  Belle.  Mr.  Rothrock  is  one  of  the 
large  land-owners  and  extensive  stock-raisers  of  White  County.  He  is 
a  Democrat,  and,  although  not  an  aspirant  for  political  honors,  has  served 
in  various  local  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He  and  wife  are  members 
of  the  German  Baptist  Church. 

MRS.  SUSANAH  SHAFER,  one  of  the  few  remaining  old  set- 
tlers of  White  County,  was  born  in  Rockingham  County,  Va.,  June  16, 
1810,  and  is  the  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Cyman)  Peebles.  The 
parents  moved  to  Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  when  Mrs.  Shafer  was  but 
eight  years  of  age,  and  there,  December  1,  1832,  she  was  married  to 
James  Shafer,  who  was  born  in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  August  7,  1806, 
and  was  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Margaret  (Robinson)  Shafer.  For  two 
years  they  resided  in  Perry  County,  and  then,  in  company  with  two 
brothers  of  Mr.  Shafer,  came  to  this  county,  and  entered  a  quarter-section 
of  land,  on  which  Mrs.  S.  still  lives.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shafer  there 
were  born  eight  children,  viz.:  Mary,  now  Mrs.  Daniel  Spears;  Margaret, 
deceased;  Jane,  now  Mrs.  William  Lane;  Alexander  R.;  John  P.;  Jos- 
eph, deceased  ;  Samuel,  deceased,  and  James.  Mr.  Shafer  was  a  highly 
respected  citizen,  and  served  as  County  Commissioner  of  White  County 
for  a  number  of  years,  dying  October  14,  1849.  On  the  6th  of  January, 
1853,  Mrs.  Shafer  married  her  deceased  husband's  brother,  Samuel,  but 
this  gentleman  died  March  18,  1875.  Mrs.  Shafer  is  the  owner  of 
much  valuable  land  in  the  southern  part  of  Union  Township,  the 
home  farm  comprising  400  acres,  on  which  she  has  resided  the  greater 
part  of  her  life.  Joseph  Shafer,  the  eldest  of  the  three  brothers  who 
came  to  White  County  in  1834,  never  married,  but  lived  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Shafer  twenty-two  years,  and  then  he  moved  to  Illinois,  where  he 
died  eighteen  days  before  the  death  of  his  brother  Samuel. 

PERRY  SPENCER  was  born  in  this  township  August  16,  1841, 
and  is  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Barnett)  Spencer,  and  one  of  a 
family  of  eight  children,  of  whom  three  only  are  living.  November  12, , 
1868,  he  married  Susan,  the  daughter  of  John  and  Martha  (Dyer)  Rob- 
erts, and  in  April,  1865,  moved  to  the  place  of  his  present  residence, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  farming  and  trading  in  stock.  There  has  been 
born  to  him  one  son,  Robert,  June  5,  1868.  Mrs.  Spencer  was  born  in 
this  township  November  6,  1841.  Mr.  Spencer  owns  between  600  and 
700  acres  of  land  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township,  a  part  of  which 
is  the  old  homestead..  On  all  subjects  he  is  independent  in  his  views, 
but  always  takes  an  active  part  in  the  development  of  any  measures  cal- 
culated to  advance  the  interests  of  his  township  and  county. 


^"\ 


I    :ii^     ::7:h:i\ 


THOMAS     SPENCER 

(  DECEASED.) 
WHITE         CO. 


PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

AS'lSiS,  LlUHliX  ANr. 
11L&E  N  l^OL)  N  DA'  r  i  c  ^ 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  259 

THOMAS  McKEAN  THOMPSON,  deceased,  was  born  June  28, 
1810,  in  Steubenville,  Ohio.  His  father,  after  whom  he  was  named, 
was  a  nephew  of  Thomas  McKean,  an  ex-Governor  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  ;  and  his 
mother  was  Alletta  Halstead,  who  bore  her  husband  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren, only  four  of  whom  yet  live.  The  family  moved  to  Granville,  Ohio, 
in  1817,  and  there  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  manhood. 
After  attending  public  school  in  his  earlier  years,  he  became  a  student  at 
Kenyon  College  but  remained  only  one  year,  afterward  entering  Miami 
University,  where  he  graduated  at  the  end  of  three  years.  He  read  law 
in  the  office  of  Col.  Marthiat,  of  Newark,  Ohio,  until  he  had  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  that  profession,  and  in  about  1834  he  went  to  Indianapolis 
and  began  practice.  In  1837,  he  came  to  Monticello,  where  he  continued 
the  practice  of  law  and  engaged  in  other  occupations.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  was  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  in  1851  was  elected  County  Auditor. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Thompson  was  a  warm  supporter  of  the  Whig  party  un- 
til the  organization  of  the  Republican  party,  when  he  joined  its  ranks 
and  remained  in  hearty  accord  with  the  same  until  his  death.  He  was 
married  to  Mary  Ann  Sheetz,  December  17,  1843,  and  a  family  of  seven 
children  were  born  to  them — Elbert  H.,  Frederick  S.,  Margaret  A.,  James 
M.,  Mary  I.,  Maud  and  Minnie.  The  mother  was  born  in  Hampshire 
County,  Va.,  November  21,  1825  and  died  October  24,  1867.  Mr. 
Thompson  died  August  24,  1881,  and  both  he  and  wife  lie  sleeping  side 
by  side  in  the  Sheetz  burying-ground,  situated  a  short  distance  above 
Monticello  on  the  banks  of  the  Tippecanoe.  Mr.  Thompson  was  one  of 
the  best  men  ever  in  White  County  and  his  liberality  and  kindly  ways 
endeared  him  to  many  warm  and  lasting  friends.  Both  he  and  wife  were 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  old  homestead  left  and  its 
additions  now  amount  to  about  500  acres  of  good  land,  and  is  owned  by 
the  children  of  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Thompson.  The  Sheetz  family  were 
among  the  first  in  White  County. 

NOAH  TUCKER  is  a  son  of  Jonathan  Tucker,  who  was  a  native  of 
Tennessee,  and  became  a  resident  of  Indiana  as  early  as  1834,  but  not  a 
permanent  one.  Jonathan  Tucker  was  of  Swiss  descent,  his  grandfather 
being  the  family  progenitor  in  this  country,  and  his  occupation  was  that 
of  a  farmer  and  miller.  He  married  Sarah  Swisher,  and  of  the  thirteen 
children  born  to  them  only  seven  are  now  living,  as  is  also  the  mother, 
but  Mr.  Tucker  died  a  number  of  years  ago  in  White  County.  Noah 
Tucker's  birth  occurred  in  Montgomery  County,  Ohio,  June  18,  1829, 
and  on  reaching  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  began  doing  for  himself.  The 
greater  part  of  his  life  has  been  passed  as  a  contractor  and  builder,  and 
this   was  one    of  the  inducements  that  led    him   to  locate   at   Delphi, 


260  '  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES: 

Ind.,  in  1864.  In  1852,  he  secured  Keziah  Kennard  for  a  wife,  but  this 
lady  died  in  1860,  leaving  one  daughter — Viana,  yet  living.  Four  years 
after  the  loss  of  his  first  wife  Mr.  Tucker  married  Sarah  J.  Kitchen,  who 
has  borne  him  two  children — Flora  and  Lewis.  In  1866,  he  began  farm- 
ing in  Liberty  Township,  White  County,  but  he  discontinued  this  and 
moved  to  Kokomo  in  1868,  having  contracted  for  the  erection  of  the 
court  house  of  Howard  County  and  other  valuable  buildings.  In  the 
spring  of  1871,  he  returned  to  his  farm  in  White  County.  Having 
formed  a  partnership  with  Emanuel  Reish  in  the  purchase  of  the  flouring 
mill  at  Norway,  he  moved  to  this  place  in  1878  and  has  since  made  it 
his  home,  although  yet  owning  a  farm  of  160  acres  in  Liberty  Township. 
Through  the  enterprise  of  Reish  &  Tucker,  new  and  improved  machinery 
has  been  introduced  into  their  mill.  It  is  operated  by  water-power,  has 
three  runs  of  buhrs,  with  a  capacity  of  fifty  barrels  per  day,  and  is  a  three- 
story  frame,  including  a  stone  basement,  45x60  feet.  In  addition  to  their 
milling  interest,  the  firm  buys  grain  quite  extensively  and  they  transact 
an  average  annual  business  of  about  $65,000.  Mr.  Tucker  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  a  Mason,  and  Mrs.  Tucker  belongs  to  the  Christian  Church. 


PRAIRIE  TOWNSHIP. 

F.  ALKIRE  was  born  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  February  13,  1813, 
and  in  1837  came  to  Indiana  and  settled  in  Tippecanoe  County,  where, 
about  1838,  he  married  Miss  Rachel  Hayes,  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  farmed 
his  eighty  acres  of  land  until  1854  or  1855,  when  he  came  to  this  county 
and  entered  three  eighty-acre  lots,  and  then- purchased  until  he  owned 
about  2,000  acres,  all  in  Prairie  Township,  and  all  under  cultivation, 
except  a  portion  reserved  for  timber.  He  has  heretofore  dealt  largely  in 
live  stock,  and  some  years  back  used  annually  to  drive  from  400  to  600 
head  of  cattle  to  Philadelphia  or  Madison  County,  Ohio,  and  so  continued 
to  do  until  the  railroads  afforded  him  better  facilities ;  he  also  handled 
100  to  200  head  of  hogs,  and  about  150  head  of  sheep.  Mrs.  Alkire 
died  in  September,  1871,  and  subsequently  Mr-  Alkire  married  Mrs. 
Eliza  A.  Hayes,  a  widow,  and  daughter  of  James  and  ISTancy  Griffith. 
Mr.  Alkire  has  had  born  to  him  five  children — Mary  A.  (deceased),  Cyn- 
thia J.  (deceased),  I.  R.,  R.  H.  and  W.  T.,  and  he  has  assisted  all  his 
sons  to  good  farms. 

ISAAC  R.  ALKIRE  was  born  in  Ohio,  May  2,  1839,  and  is  the 
eldest  of  the  five  children  born  to  Fergus  and  Rachel  (Hayes)  Alkire. 
His  boyhood  was  passed  chiefly  in  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind.,  and  after 


PRAIRIE   TOWNSHIP.  261 

1852  in  this  county,  and  he  was  reared  a  farmer.  In  186',  in  Tippe- 
canoe County,  he  married  Miss  Ellen  Chilton,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  Her 
parents,  James  and  Mary  Chilton,  were  natives  of  Virginia,  and  her 
father,  who  was  a  farmer,  died  in  Tippecanoe  County,  this  State.  The 
first  land  owned  by  Mr.  Alkire  was  an  improved  farm  of  160  acres  in  this 
township,  which  he  sold,  and  then  bought  a  similar  place  near  his  present 
residence ;  this,  in  turn,  he  disposed  of,  and  purchased  his  present  farm 
of  600  acres,  of  which  450  are  under  cultivation.  He  has  a  fine 
frame  dwelling  and  commodious  outbuildings ;  he  deals  considerably  in 
stock — mostly  cattle  and  horses — and  keeps  ten  or  twelve  horses  for  farm 
use.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.,  and  is  the  father  of  one  child — 
011a  M. 

W.  T.  ALKIRE  was  born  in  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind.,  February 
13,  1843,  and  was  married  in  White  County  to  Miss  Rebecca  J.,  daughter 
of  Samuel  and  Nancy  Ramey,  and  a  native  of  White.  The  year  after  his 
marriage,  he  settled  on  his  present  farm  on  Section  28,  this  township, 
within  a  half  mile  of  Brookston,  and  comprising  600  acres.  He  deals  in 
live  stock,  and  ships  from  100  to  150  short-horn  and  graded  cattle  per 
annum,  and  about  200  hogs ;  he  has  eighteen  to  twenty  horses,  and  his 
staple  farm  product  is  corn,  of  which  he  raises  from  5,000  to  6,000 
bushels  per  year;  of  hay,  he  raises  from  100  to  150  tons,  chiefly  for  feed 
on  the  farm.  He  has  a  fine  dwelling,  and  his  farm  buildings  are  con- 
venient and  commodious.  Mrs.  Alkire  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  their  two  children,  Reed  C.  and  Edward  F.,  are  both  attend- 
ing the  academy  at  Brookston. 

S.  C.  ANDERSON  is  a  native  of  J.  Q.  Adams  Township,  Warren 
County,  and  is  the  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  Anderson,  pioneers  of  War- 
ren, where  they  settled  in  1832-33;  there  the  father  died  in  1879  and 
the  mother  in  1881.  S.  C.  Anderson  was  married  in  Warren  County  to 
Miss  Martha  Railsback.  In  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  Seventy- 
second  Indiana  Mounted  Infantry,  and  served  under  Gen.  Wilder  from 
Buzzard's  Roost  to  Big  Shanty,  Ga. — in  all  about  eighteen  months.  He 
then  worked  in  Champaign  County,  111.,  and  Warren  County,  Ind.,  for 
awhile,  and  finally,  in  1877,  settled  on  his  present  farm  of  200  acres  in 
this  township,  which  he  subsequently  increased  to  440  acres.  His  crop 
of  corn  reaches  5,000  bushels  ;  wheat,  500  to  600  bushels  ;  and  hay,  40 
to  50  tons  ;  he  also  rears  40  to  50  cattle ;  75  to  100  hogs  ;  100  sheep, 
and  about  14'horses  annually.  Having  lost  his  wife,  he  married  Miss 
Sarah 'Dobbins,  daughter  of  Yaus  Dobbins,  and  a  native  of  Virginia.  To 
his  first  marriage  there  were  born  two  children — Edgar  and  Altha,  both 
deceased.  To  his  second  marriage,  three  children — Dickey,  Dollie  and 
Robert. 


262  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

J.  E.  BARNES  was  born  in  Pike  County,  Ohio,  and  is  the  ninth  in 
a  family  of  ten  children  born  to  John  and  Elizabeth  (Boydston)  Barnes, 
who  were  natives  respectively  of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina.  J.  E. 
Barnes  remained  on  the  home  farm  until  twenty-four  years  of  age,  and 
then  came  to  this  State  and  settled  on  Pretty  Prairie,  Tippecanoe  County, 
in  1848.  In  1854,  he  and  a  brother  came  to  this  township  and  purchased 
a  farm,  which  they  managed  together  until  1856-57,  when  they  dissolved 
partnership.  Mr.  Barnes  now  owns  280  acres,  but  one  time  possessed 
520.  He  handled  80  to  100  head  of  cattle;  80  to  100  hogs;  30  to  35 
horses ;  and  a  few  sheep  annually,  but  recently  has  confined  himself  to 
the  sale  of  stock  of  his  own  raising.  May  21,  1855,  in  this  township, 
he  married  Miss  Malinda,  daughter  of  John  Nelson,  and  a  native  of 
Tippecanoe  County,  and  to  this  union  four  children  have  been  born — 
Elizabeth  A.,  Lillie  A.,  Minnie  M.  and  James  E.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnes 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he  also  is 
Steward  and  Trustee. 

JAMES  BARR  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  January  4, 
1813,  and  in  1831  came  to  what  is  now  White  County,  Ind.,  and  was,  of 
course,  one  of  its  earliest  settlers.  In  1842,  he  married,  in  Tippecanoe 
County,  Miss  Eliza  J.  Shaw,  a  daughter  of  John  Shaw,  who  was  among 
the  pioneers  of  Tippecanoe,  having  located  at  Battle  Ground  as  early  as 
1829,  and  it  was  at  that  point  he  died.  His  wife  was  born  near  Rich- 
mond, Wayne  Co.,  Ind.  In  the  spring  of  1843,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barr  set- 
tled on  Section  8,  this  township,  and  cleared  up  a  farm  of  360  acres, 
which  was  finely  improved  by  Mr.  Barr,  and  surrounded  with  all  that  is 
needed  to  make  farm  life  pleasant ;  here  he  died,  November  10,  1876,  a 
loss  to  his  family  and  neighbors  irreparable.  His  widow  still  survives  and 
is  conducting  the  home  farm  with  success. 

P.  M.  BENJAMIN  was  born  in  Jasper  County,  Ind.,  and  is  the  son 
of  P.  M.  and  Fisbie  Benjamin,  who  were  pioneers  of  the  county  named. 
The  family  came  to  White  County  when  our  subject  was  but  two  years 
old,  and  located  in  Liberty  Township  and  cleared  up  a  farm,  on  which  the 
earlier  years  of  Mr.  Benjamin's  life  were  passed.  November  6,  1867, 
he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  N.,  daughter  of  Adam  Hornbeck,  and  a  native 
of  this  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church 
and  the  parents  of  two  children — Rebie  and  Maggie.  In  1875,  Mr. 
Benjamin  settled  on  his  present  farm  of  ninety-three  acres,  in  this  town- 
ship, which  he  has  improved  with  a  fine  frame  dwelling  and  other  build- 
ings. During  the  late  war,  Mr.  Benjamin  served  three  years  in  Company 
G,  Ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  having  enlisted  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen. He  passed  through  the  early  fights  in  West  Virginia  and  at  Cheat 
Mountains,  was  in  the  Atlantic  campaign  and  in  the  two  days'   fight  at 


PRAIRIE   TOWNSHIP.  263 

Nashville,  and  in  numerous  minor  battles  and  skirmishes,  and  escaped 
without  a  wound. 

AUGUSTUS  S.  BORDNER  is  a  native  of  Berks  County,  Penn., 
and  is  the  son  of  Augustus  and  Harriet  Bordner,  residents  of  Rehrers- 
burg.  Our  subject's  boyhood  was  passed  on  his  father's  farm  and  in 
attending  the  common  schools.  Later  he  attended  the  Freeland  Semi- 
nary, Montgomery  County,  Penn.,  and  then  taught  for  six  winters  and 
one  full  year.  He  came  to  Brookston  in  1868,  and  in  1870-  engaged  in 
the  lumber  trade,  in  which  he  still  continues.  Mr.  Bordner  was  married 
in  Brookston  to  Miss  E.  C.  Anderson,  a  daughter  of  John  Anderson,  a 
farmer  of  Ford  County,  111.,  and  to  this  union  has  been  born  one  child, 
Ira  J.  Mr.  Bordner  has  served  as  Trustee  of  Prairie  Township  for 
three  terms ;  he  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  and  both  he  and  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Universalist  Church. 

WILLIAM  BOSTICK  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  is  the 
son  of  Joseph  and  Adilla  (Chestnut)  Bostick,  pioneers  of  Ross  County. 
Joseph  Bostick  came  to  White  County  in  the  winter  of  1832,  and  assisted 
in  organizing  the  first  court  held  in  the  county,  at  which  a  culprit,  for 
want  of  a  jail,  was  sentenced  to  stand  for  a  number  of  hours  in  a  ring 
formed  by  th^  citizens,  and  then  released.  Mr.  Bostick  lived  at  Brook- 
ston about  six  months,  but  settled  on  a  farm  on  Section  25,  where  he 
ended  his  days.  William  Bostick  passed  his  boyhood  on  the  farm,  but 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade  after  he  had  attained  his  majority.  He 
was  married  in  October,  1854,  to  Miss  Hannah  Chestnut,  who  died  in 
1855,  March  25,  1858,  he  married  Miss  Maria  Carr,  daughter  of  Sol- 
omon and  Elizabeth  Carr.  This  lady  died  in  1868,  and  in  1869  he 
married  Miss  Jennie  Carr,  sister  of  his  deceased  wife.  Mr.  Bostick  lived 
in  Brookston  about  fourteen  years,  engaged  at  his  trade,  and  about  1872 
moved  upon  the  old  farm.  His  children  are  seven  in  number — Viola,  J. 
E.  and  Altona  by  his  second  marriage,  and  Labota,  AUa,  Guy  and  Will- 
iam W.  by  his  last  marriage. 

A.  L.  BROWJS"  was  born  in  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind.,  in  1885,  and 
is  the  son  of  Peter  0.  Brown,  now  aged  seventy-seven  years.  Our  sub- 
ject began  preparing  himself  for  the  medical  profession,  but  never  prac- 
ticed. He  became  a  citizen  of  this  county  in  1863,  and  was  married  at 
Monticello  in  1867,  to  Miss  Sarah  M.,  daughter  of  James  Chilton,  and 
to  this  union  two  children  have  been  born — Agnes  M.  and  Lulu  M.  Mr. 
Brown  is  the  owner  of  eighty  acres  of  good  land,  and  at  present  is  oper- 
ating a  general  store  at  Badger,  of  which  place  he  is  the  Postmaster. 

J.  P.  CARR  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  is  the  son  of  Solomon  Carr,  a 
farmer  of  German  and  English  descent,  who  became  a  resident  of  White 
County  in  1854  or  1855,  and  here  died.     J.  P.  Carr  was  reared  in  Ohio, 


264  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

and  came  to  this  county  in  1848,  locating  at  the  point  where  Chalmers 
now  stands,  where  he  was  engaged  in  herding  cattle  for  parties  in  Ohio, 
for  whom  he  had  been  buying  stock  for  a  compensation  of  50  cents 
per  day.  He  next  summer  hired  out,  with  two  good  horses,  to  John 
Price,  for  $200  per  year,  and  worked  for  him  fourteen  months,  losing 
only  one  day.  He  married  Mr.  Price's  daughter,  Catharine,  and  pur- 
chased 100  acres  of  timber  land  east  of  Brookston,  and  since,  from  time 
to  time,  has  made  purchases,  until  he  now  qwns  between  2,200  and  2,500 
acres,  of  which  1,800  are  included  in  his  present  farm.  He  is  thus  the 
largest  landholder  in  the  township,  and  is  said  to  be  the  second  largest 
tax  payer  in  the  county.  In  1876,  he  was  elected  by  the  Republicans 
to  the  Legislature,  and  served  in  a  regular  and  a  special  term,  and  in 
1880  was  re-elected,  and  served  again  one  regular  and  one  special  term. 
Having  lost  his  wife,  he  married,  February  23,  1868,  Sarah  A.  Cochi-an, 
daughter  of  Andrew  Cochran,  and  a  native  of  Jefferson  County,  Ind. 
Mr,  Carr  has  four  children  living,  all  born  to  him  by  his  first  marriage — 
William  W.,  John  P.,   Sarah  L.  and  Noonie. 

A.  COCHRAN  is  a  native  of  Jefferson  County,  Ind.,  and  is  the  third 
of  the  eleven  children  born  to  Andrew  and  Elizabeth  (Woods)  Cochran. 
He  was  married  in  Madison,  Ind.,  in  1849,  to  Miss  Minerva  G.  Morris, 
a  native  of  Indiana,  and  daughter  of  William  Morris.  After  a  three 
years'  residence  in  Madison,  Mr.  Cochran  moved  to  New  Albany,  and  in 
1854  came  to  Brookston,  where,  in  1870,  he  established  his  present  busi- 
ness of  undertaking,  dealing  in  furniture  and  house-building.  He  has 
four  business  rooms  in  a  row,  owns  four  lots  and  part  of  two  others,  and 
has  another  house  and  lot  in  the  east  part  of  town,  and  also  owns  one 
farm  of  eighty  acres  and  one  of  twenty.  He  has  served  as  Town  Trustee 
six  or  seven  years,  and  as  School  Trustee  two  or  three  years.  Mrs. 
Cochran  died  in  1857,  and  his  second  wife  was  a  Miss  Michelle  French, 
who  died  November  30,  1882.  Mr.  Cochran  has  three  children  living — 
William  A.  by  his  first  wife,  and  Sherman  and  C.  C.  by  his  second.  Mr. 
Cochran  has  been  a  very  successful  business  man,  and  stands  well  in  his 
community  and  in  the  Odd  Fellows'  order. 

CALVIN  COOLEY  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  November  25, 
1821,  and  is  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  Cooley,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  family  removed  at  an  early  day  to  a  farm  lying  partly  in 
Tippecanoe  County  and  partly  in  Clinton,  Ind.,  and  on  this  farm  the 
parents  died.  There  Calvin  Cooley  went  to  school,  and  also  learned  to 
be  a  brick-molder,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  began  life  on  his  own 
account,  he  and  a  brother  owning  an  eight-horse-power  threshing  ma- 
chine, which  they  operated  three  years  without  opposition.  May  26, 
1841,  in  Montgomery  County,  he  married  Miss  Eliza,  a  native  of  Ross 


PRAIRIE   TOWNSHIP.  265 

County,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of  Louis  and  Mary  Dunbar.  The  young 
couple  lived  a  year  on  rented  land  in  Clinton  County,  Ind.,  then  moved 
to  Montgomery,  and  thence  came  to  this  township  and  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  his  present  farm,  near  Brookston,  then  in  a  state  of  nature,  but 
now  highly  cultivated  and  improved,  with  a  brick  residence,  the  brick 
having  been  molded  by  Mr.  Cooley  himself.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cooley  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  have  one  living  child — 
Martha  A.,  who  is  married. 

DR.  S.  RANDALL  COWGER  was  born  in  Monon  Township,  this 
county,  March  6,  1847,  and  is  a  son  of  Silas  and  Elizabeth  S.  (Bott) 
Cowger,  who  were  among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  White,  settling  first  in 
Big  Creek  Township,  and  then  removing  to  Monon  Township,  where  the 
father  died  in  March,  1862,  and  the  mother  in  October,  1877.  Dr.  Cow- 
ger was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  took  charge  of  the 
homestead  on  the  death  of  his  father.  He  had  attended  the  public  schools 
in  the  country,  but  when  seventeen  years  old  came  to  Monticello  and  at- 
tended the  schools  here,  for  three  years,  teaching  in  the  country  mean- 
while, and  reading  medicine  the  last  year.  In  the  spring  of  1867,  he 
entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Morris,  read  under  him  two  years,  then  re-com- 
menced teaching,  but  still  pursued  his  medical  studies.  The  spring  of 
1871  he  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Robinson,  remained  till  October,  and 
then  went  to  Cincinnati  and  attended  lectures  at  the  Eclectic  Medical 
College.  In  1872,  he  returned  to  Monticello,  accepted  a  partnership 
with  Dr.  Robinson,  and  practiced  with  him  about  two  years.  He  then 
conducted  an  individual  practice  until  1878,  when  he  again  entered  the 
Eclectic  Medical  Institute,  for  the  express  purpose  of  receiving  instruc- 
tions in  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear  and  throat,  and  graduated  in  February, 
1879.  Then,  for  a  year  and  a  half,  he  practiced  in  conjunction  with  Dr. 
Robinson,  and  since  then  has  been  alone.  He  now  occupies  a  prominent 
position  among  the  practitioners  of  White  County.  In  politics,  he  is  in- 
dependent in  his  views,  and  votes  for  the  man  of  his  choice,  rather  than 
through  party  influence.  He  was  married,  November  30,  1880,  to  Miss 
Maria  Ruland,  and  is  now  the  father  of  one  son — Clarence  R.  Although 
he  began  his  professional  career  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  he  has  now 
reached  the  topmost  round,  and  is  the  possessor  of  one  of  the  finest  libra- 
ries of  medical  works  in  White  County. 

G.  W.  DYER  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  is  the  son  of  Zebulon  and 
Eliza  Dyer,  who  came  to  this  county  in  1835,  and  remained  here  until 
1S40,  when  they  moved  to  Carroll  County.  G.  W.  Dyer  was  about  four 
years  old  when  he  was  brought  to  this  county  by  his  parents ;  he  received 
a  meager  education  in  the  frontier  schoolhouse,  and  assisted  his  father  in 
improving  the  Carroll  County  farm  until  1854,  when  he  bought  his  pres- 


266  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

ent  place  on  Section  18,  this  township,  in  partnership  with  a  brother. 
They  have  in  all  about  220  acres,  raise  wheat,  corn  and  other  products, 
and  raise  considerable  live-stock.  Mr.  Dyer  was  married  at  Monticello 
in  1868,  to  Mrs.  Vanscoy. 

CHESTER  CLARK  FRENCH,  the  third  son  of  David  S.  French, 
D.  D.,  and  Hannah  L.French,  was  born  at  Covington,  Fountain  County, 
Ind.,  February  21,  1850.  His  father  was  born  and  reared  in  Miami 
County,  Ohio,  and  his  mother  in  Philadelphia,  Penn.  In  the  spring  of 
1858, his  father  having  just  finished  a  term  of  office  as  Treasurer  of  Fount- 
ain County,  the  family  moved  to  a  farm  in  Vermillion  County,  111.,  where 
Chester  was  given  plenty  of  work  and  there  his  habits  of  morality  and  in- 
dustry were  formed.  Schoolhouses  were  scarce,  and  to  walk  two  and  a 
half  miles  through  driving  winds  and  snow  to  school,  in  winter,  was 
almost  a  daily  occurrence.  In  the  spring  of  1863,  his  father  moved  ta 
Mahomet,  111.,  and  in  the  spring  of  1866  resigned  the  pastorate  of  the 
Baptist  Church  at  that  place  and  accepted  a  call  to  Bloomfield,  111.  He 
rented  a  small  farm  two  miles  from  town,  which  he  made  interesting  for 
his  family  of  boys  in  the  summer,  but  sent  them  to  school  in  the  winter. 
It  was  there  that,  during  a  series  of  religious  meetings,  Chester  united 
with  the  church.  In  the  fall  of  1868,  the  family  moved  to  Brookston, 
and  there  Chester  entered  the  academy  to  prepare  for  college.  In  the 
fall  of  1870,  he  received  a  teacher's  certificate,  taught  his  first  school  at 
Henderson's  Schoolhouse,  the  same  winter,  and  during  his  thirty-six 
months  of  actual  teaching  succeeded  well.  In  the  fall  of  1871,  he  entered 
the  University  of  Chicago  and  studied  three  years,  doing  chores  mornings, 
evenings  and  Saturdays,  to  meet  expenses.  Among  his  patrons  was 
Charles  H.  Reed,  State's  Attorney  for  Chicago,  and  afterward  attorney  for 
C.  J.  Guiteau,  the  assassin.  Mr.  French  acquired  a  liberal  knowledge 
of  the  higher  mathematics,  of  the  sciences  and  of  literature,  and  of  the 
German,  Latin  and  Greek  languages.  He  next  began  the  study  of  med- 
icine, under  John  Medaris,  but  in  August,  1874,  relinquished  study  and 
in  partnership  with  his  father  purchased  the  Brookston  Reporter.  In  1878 
Mr.  Chester  French  became  and  still  is  sole  proprietor.  In  August, 
1878,  he  was  appointed  Clerk  in  the  United  States  Railway  Mail  Service. 
In  1880,  he  was  commissioned  Census  Enumerator,  and  in  1882  was 
elected  Clerk  of  Brookston,  and  re-elected  the  following  year.  He  has 
also  been  twice  commissioned  Notary  Public  in  White  County.  Mr. 
French  is  favorably  known  as  a  vocalist  and  orator  as  well  as  lecturer, 
and  his  interest  in  educational  institutions  is  unbounded.  He  has  been 
a  great  traveler,  and  is  the  possessor  of  a  large  variety  of  relics  and  me- 
mentoes collected  in  his  rambles.  At  the  Fourth  of  July  celebration  at 
Monon,  in  1883,  Mr.  French    delivered  the    oration,  by  request  of  the 


^IV^-^\N\, 


ATtAM 


TWf  NEW  YORK 
PUBLIC  LIB'RARY 

ASTC*/^.,  LEHOX  ANC 
T 1  LBS N  FOU N  D ATIO >f .>< 
9 


PRAIRIE  TOWNSHIP.  269 

Committee  of  Arrangements,  this  being  one  of  dozens  of  other  orations 
and  speeches  made  by  him  on  similar  occasions. 

J.  GAY,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Ohio,  in  1812,  and  is  the  son 
of  William  and  Mary  A.  (Hayes)  Gay,  who  came  to  this  township  in 
1831,  and  here  ended  their  days.  Mr.  Gay  came  here  with  his  parents 
and  remained  on  the  home  farm  until  his  marriage,  in  Tippecanoe  County, 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Becker,  daughter  of  John  Becker,  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  and  a  pioneer  of  Tippecanoe.  Since  his  marriage,  Mr,  Gay  has 
lived  on  his  present  farm  on  Section  29,  this  township.  He  has  here  390 
acres,  of  which  250  are  under  cultivation;  he  is  also  owner  of  seventy 
acres  in  Carroll  County,  Ind.  Mr.  Gay  has  served  his  townsmen  as 
Trustee  three  terms,  and  he  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  Their  children  are  ten  in  number — William  H.,  Ansolina, 
Elmina,  Eliza  J.,  Alvin,  Sarah  A.,  Charles  A.,  Keziah,  Milton  and 
John  B. 

FRED  GEYER  was  born  in  Morgan  County,  Ohio,  in  December, 
1837,  and  is  the  son  of  Jacob  F.  and  Elizabeth  Geyer,  natives  of  Ger- 
many and  early  settlers  of  Morgan  County,  whence  they  moved  to  Hock- 
ing County,  Ohio,  and  then  to  this  State,  in  1862.  Here  the  mother 
died,  but  the  father  is  still  living.  Fred  Geyer  was  reared  to  farming 
and  worked  for  this  father  until  of  age.  In  1860,  he  married  Miss  Bar- 
bara, daughter  of  John  A.  and  Barbara  Stimer,  and  a  native  of  Morgan 
County,  and  to  this  union  have  been  born  four  children — Tazewell  J., 
George  U..  Emma  J.,  and  Ora  A.  For  about  ten  years,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Geyer  resided  in  Tippecanoe  County,  then  came  to  this  township  and 
purchased  eighty  acres  on  Section  7,  which  he  has  since  impToved  greatly. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  G.  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal   Church. 

HENRY  F.  HAGERTY  is  a  native  of  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind., 
and  is  a  son  of  David  and  Margaret  Hagerty.  At  the  age  of  nineteen, 
he  enlisted,  in  1862,  in  the  Tenth  Battery  Indiana  Light  Artillery, 
and  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Stone  River,  Munfordsville,  Perryville, 
Chattanooga,  Lookout  Mountain,  Mission  Ridge,  Dandridge  (East  Ten- 
nessee), Decatur  and  others.  At  Chattanooga,  he  was  wounded  in  the 
side  by  a  piece  of  a  shell.  He  served  three  years,  and  was  discharged  at 
Indianapolis.  November  2d,  1868,  he  married  Miss  Mary  J.  House,  a 
native  of  Indiana,  and  daughter  of  Joel  House.  This  lady  died  Decem- 
ber 17,  1872,  the  mother  of  two  children — Clara  and  Lula  (deceased). 
He  was  next  married  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Hill,  daughter  of  James  Hill,  and 
a  native  of  Indiana,  and  to  this  marriage  four  children  have  been  born — 
James,  Nellie,  Harry  and  Elmer.  In  1875,  Mr.  Hagerty  moved  on  his 
present  farm  of  120  acres,  on  Section  8,  this  township,  where  he  has  ever 
since  lived. 


270  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

SPENCER  C.  HART  is  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  is  the  third 
of  the  nine  children  born  to  William  C.  and  Sarah  (Grant)  Hart,  who 
emigrated  to  Greene  County,  Ohio,  in  1839,  and  there  died.  Spencer 
learned  coopering  when  young,  but  never  followed  the  trade.  At  the 
age  of  nineteen,  he  went  with  his  parents  to  Ohio,  where,  in  1854,  he 
married  Miss  Catherine,  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Darr)  Stine,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania.  For  a  short  time,  Mr.  Hart  farmed  on  rented  land, 
and  then  purchased  173  acres  in  Ohio,  on  which  he  resided  until  1863, 
when  he  purchased  253  acres  of  prairie  land  in  this  township,  on  which 
he  has  ever  since  lived.  He  raises  about  4,000  bushels  of  corn  a  year, 
600  to  700  bushels  of  wheat,  and  considerable  crops  of  oats  and  hay ; 
also  thirty-five  to  forty  head  of  cattle,  thirty-five  to  forty  hogs,  and  eight 
to  ten  horses.  His  children  are  five  in  number,  and  are  named  Sarah, 
Rufus  R.,  Lee  S.,  Hollie  and  William  N. 

T.  S.  HAYES  was  born  in  Kinderhook,  N.  Y.,  in  1835,  and  is  the 
son  of  Hiram  and  Mary  (Lee)  Hayes,  who  were  of  English  birth,  but 
came  to  America  when  children,  and  died  in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y. 
T.  S.  Hayes  passed  his  boyhood  in  Canaan,  N.  Y.,  where  he  attended  the 
common  schools,  and  then  the  high  school  at  Canaan  Center.  He  began 
merchandising  at  the  latter  place  while  yet  a  young  man,  and  there  mar- 
ried Adelia,  daughter  of  William  P.  Stickle,  a  farmer  and  stock  dealer  of 
Hillsdale.  Mr.  Hayes  also  went  into  the  commission  business  at  Hills- 
dale, but,  in  1878,  came  to  Brookston  and  established  his  present  busi- 
ness. He  is  owner  of  the  Lower  Elevator,  and  handles  all  kinds  of 
grain,  hay  and  live  stock,  and  has  also  a  steam  corn  sheller  and  wagon 
scales  in  connection  with  his  elevator  and  office,  where  he  pays  the  high- 
est market  price  for  grain.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hayes  are  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  and  the  parents  of  three  children — Lillian  A.,  William 
H.  and  Dolly. 

T.  HEAD  was  born  in  Rush  County,  Ind.,  in  1833,  and  is  the  son 
of  Simon  C.  and  Malinda  (Poage)  Head — the  former  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  and  born  in  1801,  and  the  latter  of  Kentucky,  and  born  in 
1807.  Until  fourteen  years  of  age,  our  subject  worked  on  the  home  farm, 
and  attended  school,  and  since  then  he  has  been  chiefly  in  the  dry  goods 
business.  In  1855,  at  Homer,  Champaign  Co.,  111.,  he  married  Miss 
Kate  Warner,  daughter  of  Joseph  Warner,  a  farmer  and  a  native  of  Ohio. 
Mr.  Head  pursued  his  calling  as  dealer  in  dry  goods  in  Champaign  City 
and  Homer,  and  then  came  to  Marshall  County,  Ind.,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business  for  twenty  months,  and  next,  in  the  spring  of 
1861,  resumed  the  dry  goods  business  at  Zionsville,  and  in  1863  at  Battle 
Ground,  and  then  farmed  for  two  years;  in  October,  1876,  he  came  to 
Brookston,  where  he  now  carries  a  general  assortment  of  merchandise, 


PRAIRIE   TOWNSHIP.  271 

boots,  shoes,  notions,  groceries,  etc.,  etc.,  valued  at  $30,000.  Mr.  Head 
is  a  Freemason,  and  he  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church. 
Of  their  eleven  children,  the  living  are  named — Charlie  E.,  011a,  Cora, 
Jessie,  Orin,  Ada,  Pearl,  Roy,  Uhl  T. ;  the  deceased  were  named  Otis 
and  Effie. 

A.  HILDEBRANDT  is  a  native  of  Germany,  and  came  to  America 
May  3,  1855,  landing  in  New  York,  thence  moving  to  Tippecanoe  County, 
this  State,  and  then  coming  td  this  township,  where  he  purchased  220 
acres  of  land,  which  he  has  increased  to  300  acres.  He  rears  from  fifty 
to  sixty  head  of  cattle,  seventy-five  to  eighty  hogs,  and  twelve  to  fourteen 
horses  annually,  and  raises  about  seventy-five  tons  of  hay,  and  from  3,000 
to  4,000  bushels  of  corn;  in  1881,  he  raised  700  bushels  of  wheat.  He 
was  married,  in  La  Fayette  to  Miss  Catherine  Myers,  a  native  of 
Germany,  who  has  borne  him  eight  children — Henry,  Mary,  Augustus, 
Annie,  Amelia,  Eda,  George  (deceased)  and  Kate  (deceased).  Mr.  Hil- 
debrandt  has  earned  all  his  property  by  his  own  industry  and  good  man- 
agement, and  has  surrounded  himself  with  every  comfort  tending  to  make 
farm  life  enjoyable. 

N.  HORNBECK  was  born  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  and  in  1837,  at 
the  age  of  twelve  years,  came  to  White  County  with  his  parents,  Adam 
and  Margaret  (Dungan)  Hornbeck.  He  availed  himself  of  the  ordinary 
advantages  aiForded  by  the  pioneer  school,  and  then  worked  on  his  own 
account  seven  or  eight  years,  acquiring  about  200  acres  of  land.  In  1853, 
he  married  Mrs.  Phebe  Coil,  daughter  of  William  Little,  and  a  native  of 
Miami  County.  Ohio ;  to  this  union  have  been  born  four  children — 
Thomas  K.  (deceased),  Frank  (deceased)  and  Fannie  (twins)  and  Addie. 
Mr.  Hornbeck  has  added  to  his  land  until  he  is  now  possessor  of  about 
577  acres,  improved  with  every  convenience  and  comfort.  He  handles 
from  fifty  to  sixty  head  of  cattle  annually,  100  to  125  head  of  sheep,  130 
to  140  hogs,  and  twelve  to  fifteen  horses.  He  has  served  his  fellow-citi- 
zens in  the  capacity  of  County  Commissioner  three  years,  and  also  for 
three  years  as  Township  Trustee,  and  in  both  positions  have  given  the 
most  complete  satisfaction  to  his  constituents. 

F.  T.  HORNBECK,  a  son  of  Adam  and  Margaret  Hornbeck,  was 
born  on  the  same  farm  he  now  occupies  in  this  township,  and  was  here 
reared  and  educated.  November  7,  1866,  he  married  Miss  Mary  J.  Coil, 
a  native  of  Carroll  County,  Ind.,  and  daughter  of  Robert  Coil,  a  farmer, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  and  they 
have  had  born  to  them  four  children,  named  Maggie  P.,  Robert  C,  Lora 
B.  and  Laura  B.  Mr.  Hornbeck  ig  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm  of  180  acres, 
and  rears  and  deals  in  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep,  besides  raising  considerable 
wheat  and  corn,  but  more  of  the  latter  than  of  the  former. 


272  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

FREDERICK  JENNING  was  born  in  Saxony,  Germany,  August 
23,  1835,  and  is  the  son  of  Godfrey  Jenning,  a  carpenter.  Frederick 
went  to  school  in  Germany  between  the  ages  of  seven  and  fourteen,  and 
was  then  apprenticed  to  carpentering  for  three  years,  two  of  which  he 
served  and  then  came  to  America,  landing  at  New  York  October  24, 
1854,  and  beginning  work  at  Buffalo ;  he  then  worked  at  Plymouth,^ 
Mich.,  and  various  other  places,  and  May  15,  1856,  located  at  Brookston, 
where  he  worked  as  carpenter  for  the  New  Albany  and  Salem  Railroad 
for  three  years,  and  then  enlisted,  August  15,  1862,  in  Company  F, 
Ninety-ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  three  years,  lacking 
two  months,  being  mustered  out  at  Washington  and  discharged  at  Indi- 
anapolis. His  only  injury  was  by  a  spent  ball,  in  one  of  the  many  actions 
in  which  he  took  part,  among  them  being  the  following :  Atlanta,  Vicks- 
burg,  Jackson,  Miss.,  Mission  Ridge,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  and  others, 
making  in  all  fifteen.  September  14,  1865,  he  married  Miss  Caroline 
Cotenenhan,  a  native  of  Boone  County,  Ind.,  and  to  this  union  have  been 
born  four  children.  Mr.  Jenning  owns  three  lots  in  Brookston,  on  which 
are  two  dwellings,  besides  two  outlets ;  also,  thirty  acres  of  adjacent  hmd, 
on  which  his  fine,  frame  dwelling  stands.  He  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  and  his 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

THOMAS  KENNEDY  was  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  in 
1831,  and  is  the  eldest  of  the  three  children  born  to  William  and  Maria 
(Montgomery)  Kennedy,  natives  respectively  of  Pennsylvania  and  Vir- 
ginia. The  family  came  to  this  county  in  1833,  where  they  underwent 
all  the  privations  of  the  settler's  life,  and  cleared  up  the  farm  on  which 
they  ended  their  days.  Thomas  Kennedy  remained  on  the  home 
farm  until  his  marriage,  in  1858,  to  Miss  Catherine,  daughter  of  Samuel 
Bushong.  He  had  owed  99  acres  of  land  before  his  marriage,  which  he 
sold,  and  in  1861  bought  114  acres  of  his  present  farm,  which  he  has 
since  increased  to  280  acres,  all  finely  improved.  He  raises  over  2,000 
bushels  of  corn  per  year,  200  to  400  bushels  of  wheat,  40  head  of  cattle, 
30  to  40  hogs,  10  to  12  horses,  and  20  to  30  sheep.  Mr.  Kennedy  is  a 
Freemason,  and  his  wife,  until  her  death  in  October,  1881,  was  a  member 
of  the  M.  E.  Church.  Their  six  children  were  named  as  follows  :  John 
C,  William  S.,  Jacob  B.,  Thomas  J.,  Mary  E.  and  Martha  J. 

W.  R.  KIOUS  was  born  in .  Montgomery  County,  Ind.,  August  4, 
1844,  and  is  the  son  of  Absalom  and  Mary  Kious,  who  were  among  the 
pioneers  of  Montgomery,  and  who,  in  1859,  came  to  White  County, 
where  the  father  died.  The  mother  still  survives,  at  the  age  of  seventy 
four,  and  resides  with  her  son,  W.  R..  Her  father  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolution,  and  served  seven  years.  W.  R.  Kious  assisted  on  the  home 
farm  until  September  19,  1869,  when  he  was  married,  in  Clinton  County, 


PRAIRIK   TOWNSHIP.  273 

to  Miss  Katie  Fowler,  daughter  of  W.  A.  Fowler,  and  an  ative  of  this 
State.  For  a  short  time  after  marriage,  Mr.  K.  farmed  on  rented  land, 
and  then  purchased  130  acres  of  his  present  farm  on  Section  16,  this 
township.  Here  his  wife  died,  leaving  three  children  —  Lillie 
M.,  Almira  and  Katie.  In  December,  1875,  Mr.  K.  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  J.,  daughter  of  Jacob  W.  Ridgeway,  and  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  to  this  marriage  was  born  one  child,  Marton,  now  deceased.  Mr.  K. 
has  added  ninety  acres  to  his  farm,  which  now  comprises  220  acres,  is 
highly  improved,  and  contains  two  miles  of  hedge  fence.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  K.  are  members  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 

RICHARD  KOLB  was  born  in  Rush  County,  Ind.,  in  1840,  and 
is  the  son  of  William  and  Keziah  Kolb,  natives  of  Georgia  and  North 
Carolina,  pioneers  of  Fayette  County,  this  State,  and  now  residents  of 
Benton  County.  Richard  passed  his  boyhood  years  in  Benton  County, 
and,  at  the  early  age  of  nineteen,  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Fortieth  Indi- 
ana Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  three  years  and  eight  months. 
Among  other  battles,  he  took  part  at  Shiloh,  Stone  River,  Mission  Ridge 
and  Kenesaw  Mountain.  He  was  wounded  both  at  Mission  and  Kene- 
saw,  at  the  latter  quite  seriously.  For  six  weeks  he  lay  in  the  hospital, 
and  was  absent  from  his  regiment  nearly  six  months,  owing  to  his  disa- 
bility— most  of  the  time  at  home  on  leave  of  absence.  In  March,  1864, 
he  was  married,  in  Benton  County,  to  Miss  Huldah  Kiger,  a  native  of 
Wabash  County,  Ind.,  and  daughter  of  Jacob  N.  Kiger.  She  died  in 
1868,  and  January  13,  1873,  he  married,  in  Fountain  County,  Ind., 
Miss  Sabra  Penner,  daughter  of  William  Penner.  In  1874,  he  settled 
on  160  acres  in  this  township,  but  subsequently  sold.  He  is  the  father 
of  five  children — Arta  M.,  Ada  M.,  Viola,  Lottie  G.  and  Annie  J.,  and 
at  present  is  Township  Road  Commissioner. 

J.  S.  McLEAN  was  born  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  September  3,  1818, 
and  is  the  son  of  Alexander  and  Jane  (Stone)  McLean.  J.  S.  McLean 
passed  his  boyhood  in  his  native  county,  until  eighteen  years  old,  when 
he  left  the  home  farm  and  learned  the  tanner's  trade.  In  1850,  he  and 
his  father  came  to  Tippecanoe  County,  this  State,  started  a  tan  yard  at 
Battle  Ground  and  ran  it  about  five  years.  He  was  first  married  in 
Prairie  Township,  to  Miss  Martha  J.  Lafferty,  a  native  of  Ohio,  but  an 
orphan  reared  by  John  Barr.  For  two  years,  Mr,  McLean  taught  school, 
and  then  for  two  years  kept  grocery  at  Springboro.  His  wife  died, 
when  he  sold  out  and  broke  up  housekeeping  and  for  six  years  taught 
school  at  Hickory  Ridge.  He  was  next  married,  in  1854,  to  Miss  Nancy, 
Matthews,  who  soon  after  died.  He  taught  school  again  at  Tolleston,  for 
about  six  years,  and  March  5,  1863,  married  Miss  Mary  Lear,  a  native 
of  Virginia.     About  1867,  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  in  this  town- 


274  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

ship,  on  Section  26,  to  "which  he  has  since  added  eighty  acres,  on  which 
he  has  a  fine  hedge  140  rods  long.  He  has  five  children — J.  A.,  by  his 
first  marriage  ;  Sylvia,  by  his  second  ;  Alfred  A.,  Eva  and  Edwin  R,, 
by  his  last  marriage. 

W.  A.  McCLEAN  was  born  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  October  23,  1825, 
and  is  a  son  of  Alexander  and  Jane  (Stone)  McClean.  At  the  age  of  ten, 
he  was  brought  to  Tippecanoe  County,  this  State,  where  he  learned  the 
tanner's  trade,  which  he  followed  about  five  years.  In  the  spring  of  1865, 
he  came  to  his  farm  on  Section  30,  this  township,  and  November  9, 1865, 
at  Monticello,  married  Mrs.  Helen  M.  Reed,  daughter  of  John  Compton 
and  a  native  of  Ohio.  This  lady  died  October  18,  1876,  leaving  two 
children — Archibald  and  Mary  B.,  who  are  now  residing  with  their 
father  on  the  homestead,  which  comprises  200  acres,  lacking  eight  rods, 
of  fine  land,  improved  with  substantial  farm  buildings.  For  four  terms, 
of  three  months  each,  Mr.  McClean  taught  school,  and  he  is  a  gentle- 
man well  informed  on  all  current  topics. 

E.  P.  MASON  &  SONS  conduct  a  general  store  at  Brookston  and 
carry  an  extensive  stock  of  dry  goods,  groceries,  agricultural  imple- 
ments, hardware,  etc.,  valued  at  from  |8,000  to  $10,000.  E.  P.  Mason, 
is  a  native  of  Rutland,  Vt.,  and  came  to  Delphi,  Ind.,  in  1837;  remained 
about  three  years,  and  then  went  to  farming  near  La  Fayette;  in  1840, 
he  moved  to  town  and  kept  hotel  three  years,  and  then  a  livery  stable  six 
years  ;  he  then  conducted  a  foundry  business  at  Pittsburg,  Carroll 
County,  until  1855,  when  he  came  to  Brookston  and  entered  upon  his 
present  enterprise,  the  second  of  the  kind  in  the  place,  his  brother-in-law, 
T.  B.  Davis,  having  preceded  him  one  year.  His  sons  have  been  asso- 
ciated with  him  since  1878,  and  it  is  said  that  the  firm  carry  the  largest 
and  best  assorted  stock  in  town.  Mr.  Mason  was  first  married  in  Gen- 
esee County,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Adeline  Colton,  'who  died  at  La  Fayette 
in  1842  ;  his  second  marriage  took  place  in  La  Fayette,  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Huntsingtr,  a  daughter  of  John  Huntsinger,  and  to  this  union  have 
been  born  three  boys  and  three  girls.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mason  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

EDWARD  MA  LTD,  deceased,  was  a  native  of  England,  born  in 
1824,  and  was  the  son  of  John  Maud,  who  was  largely  interested  in  stone 
quarries.  Edward  received  a  fair  education  and  was  brought  up  to  farm 
labor.  He  was  married  in  England  to  Jane  Waring,  and  he  and  wife 
came  to  this  country  in  1856,  and  for  two  or  three  years  lived  in  Phil- 
adelphia. They  made  several  changes  of  residence,  and  finally  settled 
in  this  township  in  1870.  Here  Mr.  Maud  ended  his  days  in  1871,  a 
member  of  the  English  Church.  His  widow  continues  to  farm  the  160 
acres  of  fine  prairie  land  on  Section  23. 


PRAIRIE  TOWNSHIP.  275 

DR.  A.  p.  MENDENHALL,a  native  of  Montgomery  County,  Ind., 
was  born  May  7,  1839,  and  is  the  fifth  of  the  nine  children  born  to  David 
and  Mary  A.  (Perkins)  Mendenhall,  who  were  natives  of  North  Carolina 
and  Ohio  respectively.  The  father,  who  was  a  farmer,  died  in  Illinois 
about  January,  1881,  but  the  mother  is  still  living  in  the  said  State,  in 
comparatively  good  health  at  the  age  of  seventy-three.  When  about  seven 
years  of  age,  our  subject  was  removed  by  his  parents  to  the  Wea  Plains, 
where  he  attended  the  Farmers'  Institute,  and  some  four  or  five  years 
later  was  taken  to  Osawatomie,  Kan.,  where  he  resided  four  years,  attend- 
ing school  in  a  private  family,  there  being  no  schoolhouse  within  fifty 
miles ;  he  was  then  taken  to  Vermillion  County,  111.,  where  he  attended 
the  Vermillion  Seminary  four  or  five  years  ;  thence  he  moved  to  Iroquois, 
111.,  taught  school  for  six  winters,  and  began  the  study  of  medicine ;  in 
1870  and  1871,  first  attended  lectures  at  the  Rush  Medical  College  at 
Chicago,  and  ,then  came  to  Brookston,  spent  the  summer  in  study,  and 
then  returned  to  Chicago,  but  arrived  the  night  of  the  great  fire,  which 
swept  away  the  college,  causing  him  to  seek  the  Cincinnati  Medical  Col- 
lege, from  which  he  graduated  in  March,  1873,  and  came  back  to  Brooks- 
ton,  where  he  has  ever  since  been  engaged  in  successful  practice.  Janu- 
ary 1,  1876,  he  married  Miss  Alice,  daughter  of  James  C.  and  Clarinda 
Gress.  Mrs.  Mendenhall  became  the  mother  of  two  children — Nella  and 
C.  Alice— and  died  July  21,  1878. 

F.  P.  MILLS  was  born  in  York  State,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  Mills. 
His  early  life  was  passed  in  Ohio,  where  he  was  educated  at  Hudson  Col- 
lege, fourteen  miles  from  Cleveland,  and  where,  also,  he  married  Miss 
Mary,  a  daughter  of  Christian  Weltz,  and  a  native  of  Ohio,  who  died  in 
1868,  the  mother  of  two  children — Francis  (now  Superintendent  of  the 
Youngstown  Iron  Mining  Company)  and  Mary.  He  next  married  Miss 
Sarah  J.,  daughter  of  John  Hay.  This  lady  has  borne  him  four  children, 
viz.,  George  H.,  Henry  H.,  John  H.  and  William  H.  Mr.  Mills  waa 
engaged  for  twenty-two  years  in  mining  in  the  upper  portion  of  the 
Michigan  peninsula,  chiefly  handling  magnetic  ores.  He  was  Superin- 
tendent for  the  Cleveland  Iron  Mining  Company,  and  had  at  first  about 
100  men  under  his  supervision ;  but  the  business  so  increased  that  he 
eventually  had  over  800  men  under  his  management.  While  thus  engaged, 
he  accumulated  what  is  probably  the  largest  and  most  valuable  collection 
of  specimens  of  iron  and  other  metals  held  b}'  any  private  individual  out- 
side of  the  large  cities.  In  the  fall  of  1879,  he  came  to  his  present  farm 
of  500  acres,  which  is  improved  with  a  fine  frame  dwelling  and  all  other 
needed  buildings,  and  ornamented  with  five  miles  of  hedges. 

K.  J.  MILLS  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  is  the  young- 
est of  the  eleven  children  born  to  Henry  and  Maria  (Purdy)  Mills,  also 


276  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES: 

natives  of  New  York.  K.  J.  Mills  was  but  four  years  of  age  when  he 
was  removed  by  his  parents  to  Ohio,  in  which  State  his  father  died ;  in 
that  State,  also,  Mr.  Mills  married  Miss  Caroline,  daughter  of  Samuel 
Henline,  a  farmer,  stock-dealer  and  pioneer  of  Ohio.  For  two  years 
after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Mills  farmed  on  rented  land,  and  then  bought  100 
acres,  which  he  occupied  six  years ;  then  came  to  this  township  in  1860, 
where  he  now  owns  an  interest  in  and  controls  500  acres.  He  rears 
about  fifty  head  of  cattle,  fifty  head  of  hogs  and  about  fifteen  horses  per 
annum,  and  from  1,200  to  1,-500  bushels  of  wheat.  Since  coming  to  this 
county,  his  mother  has  died,  and  his  family  now  consists  of  himself  and 
wife  and  seven  children,  viz.,  Mary,  Samuel,  Caroline,  David,  Lucretia, 
Loretta  and  John.     Two  other  children — Susan  and  Alice — are  deceased. 

J.  C.  MOORE  was  born  in  Harrison  County,  Ky.,  July  8,  1814, 
and  is  the  son  of  James  H.  and  Mary  (Campbell)  Moore,  natives  respect- 
ively of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  and  pioneers  of  Wayne  County,  Ind., 
in  about  1818  ;  in  1832,  they  came  to  this  township.  J.  C.  Moore  being 
naturally  a  mechanical  genius,  his  services  were  always  in  demand  during 
his  early  manhood.  He  assisted  in  erecting  the  second  building  in 
Monticello,  and  also  in  putting  up  the  first  court  house.  His  neighbors,  far 
and  near,  would  come  to  the  home  farm  and  fill  his  place  at  the  plow  or 
at  other  work,  while  he  did  their  repairing  or  made  new  implements.  He 
thus  followed  farming  and  mechanics  for  fifteen  years,  but  now  devotes 
his  exclusive  time  to  inventions.  He  first  invented  a  hay  and  straw 
stacker,  then  a  lifting  machine  for  loading  and  unloading  cars  and  vessels ; 
a  steam  ditcher  and  grader,  and  many  other  useful  machines.  January 
25,  1837,  he  married,  in  Tippecanoe  County,  Miss  Elizabeth  Fierce,  who 
died  in  1866,  the  mother  of  ten  children — Martha  J.,  Nancy  E.,  Eliza- 
beth F.,  Mary  A.  (deceased),  Maria  E.,  William  R.,  Harriet  L.,  John  W., 
Rhodie,  and  James  C.  (deceased).  In  1869,  he  married  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Hughes,  a  native  of  Darke  County,  Ohio,  who  has  borne  him  two  chil- 
dren— Edgar  C.  and  Eva  K.  Mr.  Moore  is  the  owner  of  1,000  acres  of 
land,  of  which  460  are  in  this  county  and  the  balance  in  Missouri. 

J.  H.  MOORE  is  a  native  of  Henry  County,  Ind.,  and  is  a  son  of 
Philip  and  Julia  A.  Moore,  natives  of  North  Carolina,  and  pioneers  of 
Henry  County,  where  they  died.  J.  H.  Moore  was  married,  December 
22,  1861,  to  Miss  Emily  L.  Lamb,  a  native  of  Wayne  County,  Ind.,  and 
daughter  of  Thomas  Lamb,  a  farmer.  For  two  years  after  marriage, 
Mr.  Moore  lived  on  rented  land,  then  purchased  eighty  acres  in  Howard 
County,  Ind.,  which  he  farmed  a  year  :  then,  in  1865,  came  to  his  present 
place  in  this  township,  which  he  purchased  in  partnership  with  his 
brother,  Miles  M.  Moore,  and  which  then  comprised  265  acres ;  it  was 
later   increased   to  365    acres,  and  in  1874   Mr.  Moore  bought  out  his 


PRAIRIE   TOWNSHIP.  277 

brother's  interest.  He  handles  from  twenty  to  thirty  head  of  cattle  a 
year,  seventy-five  to  100  hogs,  forty  to  fifty  sheep,  and  about  twelve 
horses.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church,  and  are  the  parents  of  two  children — Mary  L.  and  Ilattie  E. 

JERRY  MURPHY  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  is  the  son  of  Dennis 
and  Mary  Murphy,  who  came  to  America  when  Jerry  was  about  eight 
years  old,  and  settled  in  Delaware  about  1858,  in  which  State  the  father 
died ;  the  mother  died  in  this  State.  Jerry  became  a  resident  of  In- 
diana in  1854.  In  1862,  he  bought  eighty  acres  of  his  present  farm, 
and  in  1866  he  was  married,  in  Tippecanoe  County,  to  Miss  Harrietta 
Mclntyre,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  daughter  of  Benjamin  Mclntyre, 
who  was  in  early  life  a  physician,  but  who  later  cleared  up  a  farm  in 
Tippecanoe  County,  where  he  died  in  1854.  Immediately  after  mar- 
riage, Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  moved  upon  his  farm  in  Section  18,  this  town- 
ship, which  he  has  increased  to  300  acres.  He  raises  about  2,500  bushels 
of  corn  per  year,  700  to  800  bushels  of  wheat,  some  oats,  seventy-five  tons 
of  hay,  about  seventy-five  head  of  cattle,  seventy-five  to  eighty  hogs,  and 
about  thirteen  horses.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and 
an  Odd  Fellow,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
Their  three  children  are  named   Hattie  M.  0.,  Charles  D.  and  Edward. 

JOHN  PARRISH  is  a  native  of  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  the  son 
of  Henry  and  Eliza  (Harvey)  Parrish,  who  were  pioneers  of  Tippecanoe 
County,  Ind.,  having  settled  there  in  1831,  when  John  was  in  his  fourth 
year.  There  the  latter  was  reared  to  farming,  and  received  his  educa- 
tion, and  there  he  wa3  married  to  Miss  Rebecca  Godman,  daughter  of 
Richard  Godman,  farmer.  In  the  spring  of  1851,  Mr.  Parrish  came  to 
this  township  and  engaged  in  farming,  and  at  present  owns  400  acres,  all 
prairie,  with  the  exception  of  fifteen  acres ;  he  owns,  besides,  the  largest 
steam  elevator  in  Brookston,  and  buys  all  kinds  of  grain  at  the  highest 
market  price;  he  has  a  neat  office  connected  with  a  wagon  scale  and  a 
steam  corn  sheller  in  the  elevator,  and,  in  addition  to  his  grain  business, 
acts  as  agent  for  the  sale  of  agricultural  implements.  Mr.  Parrish  has 
served  the  county  as  Commissioner  for  six  years,  and  has  given  satisfac- 
tion to  all  parties.  He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  they  have  two  children  living — Martha  J.  and  Elizabeth. 

A.  L.  PATTERSON  was  born  in  Kentucky  December  19,  1815, 
and  is  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Lucy  (DeWitt)  Patterson,  of  Irish  and 
French  descent.  They  were  among  the  pioneers  of  Cass  County,  Ind.. 
in  1833,  and  there  they  died.  Until  twenty  years  old,  A.  L.  Patterson 
assisted  on  his  father's  farm  and  attended  school,  and  then  began  learn- 
ing the  millwright's  trade,  working  in  the  summer  and  teaching  in  the 
winter  for  five  years.     November  26,  1840,  in  Tippecanoe  County,  he 


278  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

married  Mrs.  Clementine  Harvey,  a  native  of  Virginia ;  he  served  in  the 
State  Legislature  two  terms,  1849,  1850  and  1851,  and  was  engaged  in 
farming  in  Tippecanoe  until  1866,  when  he  came  to  Brookston  and  fol- 
lowed his  trade  ;  farmed  and  conducted  a  nursery  in  a  small  way,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1882  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  which  office  he  still 
holds  ;  he  has  also  been  a  Notary  Public  of  Prairie  Township  for  four- 
teen years;  he  had  also  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Tippecanoe 
County,  as  Township  Trustee  and  Treasurer  of  the  Board,  His  first 
wife  having  died,  he  was  married,  in  1850,  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Layne. 
This  lady  also  died,  and  January  23,  1873,  he  married  Mrs.  Mary 
French.  There  were  born  to  him,  by  his  first  wife,  four  children — Lucy 
J.,  Nancy  A.,  William  and  Morinsa ;  his  second  wife  had  no  children; 
his  present  wife  has  borne  him  two — Mattie  A.  and  Minnie  A.  He  is 
the  owner  of  two  good  town  lots,  on  one  of  which  is  his  very  pleasant 
residence. 

S.  H.  POWELL  is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas 
S.  Powell,  a  farmer  (now  deceased),  and  to  farming  S.  H.  Powell  was 
also  reared.  In  1854,  he  came  to  this  township  and  farmed  until  1867, 
when  he  opened  his  present  general  store  in  Brookston,  where  he  has  a 
pleasant  central  location,  and  carries  a  stock  valued  at  between  $4,000 
and  $5,000.  September  9,  1852,  he  married,  in  Tippecanoe  County, 
Ind.,  Miss  Dorcas  A.  Stewart,  daughter  of  John  Stewart,  farmer.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Powell  are  both  members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  their 
only  living  child,  Ellen,  makes  her  home  with  her  parents. 

JOHN  PRICE  (deceased)  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Ohio,  Febru- 
ary 13,  1810,  and  was  the  only  son  in  a  family  of  seven  children  born  to 
John  and  Sarah  (Smalley)  Price,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  English 
descent.  John  Price,  Sr.,  was  employed  at  his  trade  of  blacksmith  in 
the  army  during  the  war  of  1812,  he  being  an  enlisted  man.  He  was 
married  in  Pennsylvania,  and  soon  after  removed  to  Fayette  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  died.  John  Price,  Jr.,  lost  his  parents  when  he  was  but  a  mere 
lad,  and  from  the  age  of  ten  until  twenty  his  home  was  among  strangers. 
He  was  married,  December  24,  1829,  to  Susanna  Kent,  who  was  born 
near  Dayton,  Ohio,  May  31,  1814.  Her  parents  were  James  and  Cathe- 
rine (Hawk)  Kent,  who  were  natives  of  New  Jersey,  and  of  English  and 
Irish  descent.  In  1835,  Mr.  Price  and  family,  accompanied  by  James 
Kent  and  family,  came  to  this  township,  where  he  remained  a  year  and 
then  moved  to  Jasper  County,  where  the  Indians  were  about  his  only 
neighbors.  These  savages  became  so  troublesome  that,  at  the  end  of  two 
years,  Mr.  Price  abandoned  his  claim  and  came  back  to  White  County 
and  entered  about  1,200  acres  in  Prairie  and  Big  Creek  Townships.  This 
land  he  improved  and  resided  upon  until  his   death,  January  12,  1852. 


PRAIRIE  TOWNSHIP.  279 

When  Mr.  Price  came  to  this  county,  his  possessions  consisted  of  a  team 
of  horses,  a  wagon  he  had  himself  made,  and  25  cents  in  cash,  but  by  in- 
dustry and  good  management  ho  acquired  a  comfortable  fortune.  His 
widow  is  still  living  with  a  daughter  on  part  of  the  old  homestead. 

OSCAR  K.  RAINIER  was  born  in  Randolph  County,  Ind.,  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1850,  and  is  the  second  of  the  three  children  born  to  John  F. 
and  Virinda  (Neal)  Rainier.  He  was  fairly  educated  when  young,  and 
worked  on  the  home  farm  until  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  and  a 
brother  bought  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  this  township,  Avhich,  with  other 
lands  he  rented,  he  farmed  for  two  years.  He  then  sold  his  interest  and 
purchased  his  present  farm  on  Section  2,  on  which  he  has  recently  erected 
one  of  the  best  residences  in  the  township.  He  was  married,  April  4, 
1872,  to  Rachel  R.  Price,  a  native  of  White  County,  and  daughter  of 
John  and  Susanna  (Kent)  Price,  and  to  this  union  have  been  born  three 
children — John  F.,  Scott  C.  and  Susanna  M.  Mr,  Rainer  is  a  Demo- 
crat in  politics,  and  is  looked  upon  as  an  enterprising  and  rising  young 
farmer. 

WILSON  SHIGLEY  was  born  in  Greene  County,  Ohio,  June  22, 
1823,  and  is  the  third  of  the  ten  children  of  John  and  Annie  Shigley, 
natives  respectively  of  Virginia  and  Ohio.  In  1826,  the  family  came  to 
Tippecanoe  County,  this  State,  and  there  Wilson  was  reared  on  the  home 
farm,  caring  for  his  parents  in  their  age  and  remaining  with  them 
until  their  death.  He  was  married,  in  this  county,  to  Lucy  E.  Steward, 
daughter  of  Hiram  Steward,  a  farmer  ;  for  two  years  kept  house  in  the 
village  of  Chauncy,  and  then  moved  upon  his  present  farm  of  180  acres 
in  1865  ;  he  has  put  forty  acres  under  cultivation,  and  chiefly  raises  corn. 
He  keeps  from  eight  to  ten  horses  and  from  twenty  to  thirty  hogs.  His 
children  are  three  in  number,  and  are  named  Henry  M.,  Myrtle  and 
Nellie  M. 

T.  W.  SLEETH  was  born  in  Greene  County,  Ohio,  and  is  the  son 
of  Alvin  and  Eliza  (Forker)  Sleeth,  who  came  to  White  County  in  1841. 
Here  the  father  died  in  1846  ;  the  mother  still  survives  him.  T.  W, 
Sleeth  was  but  one  year  of  age  when  brought  to  this  county,  and  here  he 
has  lived  ever  since  on  Section  29.  The  homestead  comprises  200  acres, 
belonging  to  Mr.  Sleeth,  his  mother  and  brother,  but  outside  of  his  in- 
heritance he  owns  forty  acres  ;  he  deals  in  cattle  and  hogs,  and  is  engaged 
in  general  farming.  In  1874,  he  married  Miss  Susanna  J.  Barr,  daugh- 
ter of  Cyrus  and  Margaret  Barr,  natives  of  Ohio,  who  came  here  in  1830. 
In  June,  1876,  Mrs.  Sleeth  died,  and  Mr.  S.  remains  a  widower.  Mr. 
Sleeth  answered  to  his  country's  call  during  the  late  war,  and  for  three 
years  served  in  Company  A,  Forty-sixth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry. 

W.  H.  SLEETH  was  born  in  this   township  May  20,  1843,  and  is 


280  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

a  son  of  Alvin  and  Eliza  A.  Sleeth.  He  was  reared  a  farmer,  and  was 
educated  at  the  district  schools.  He  was  married,  in  Mahaska  County, 
Iowa,  to  Miss  Mary  M,  Barr,  a  daughter  of  Alfred  Barr,  and  a  native  of 
this  township.  Her  grandfather  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county, 
and  donated  the  land  on  which  the  county  seat  is  located.  For  three 
years,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sleeth  lived  in  Mahaska  County,  Iowa,  but  since 
then  have  resided  on  their  homestead  on  Section  24,  this  township. 
They  are  the  parents  of  two  children — Charlie  M.  and  Laura  M.  In 
1862,  Mr.  Sleeth  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Twelfth  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  served  principally  under  Sherman  and  Logan.  At  the 
battle  of  Richmond,  Ky.,  he  was  taken  prisoner,  but  was  paroled  three 
days  later  and  was  soon  exchanged.  He  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg,  the  fight  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  at  Mission  Ridge,  the  siege  of  Knox- 
ville,  Tenn.,  and  the  battle  of  Resaca,  where  he  was  wounded.  He  lay 
in  the  hospital  thirteen  months,  and  was  honorably  discharged  July  7, 
1865. 

BENTON  THOMPSON  is  a  native  of  Hancock  County,  111.,  and 
is  the  fifth  of  the  eight  children  born  to  Alman  and  Isabella  Thompson. 
The  father  was  a  physician,  but  resided  on  a  farm,  which  was  conducted 
by  his  sons.  On  this  farm,  Benton  labored  until  he  reached  manhood, 
attending  to  his  education  in  the  meantime.  For  several  terms,  he  taught 
school,  and  in  1874  began  clerking  in  the  drug'  store  of  George  Patton, 
at  Brookston.  In  April,  1875,  Mr.  Patton  sold  and  Mr.  Thompson 
remained  with  the  purchasers.  In  September,  1875,  Mr.  Patton  bought 
back,  and  the  firm  of  Patton  &  Thompson  was  established,  and  was  con- 
tinued until  April,  1879,  when  a  sale  of  the  stock  was  made,  Mr.  Thomp- 
son remaining  as  clerk  for  the  purchasers.  July  8,  1881,  Mr.  Thompson 
became  sole  proprietor  of  the  establishment,  and  he  now  carries  a  stock 
valued  at  over  $2,500,  and  is  doing  a  lucrative  trade,  his  location  being 
a  desirable  one  for  business,  and  his  reputation  as  a  druggist  and  gentle- 
man an  enviable  one. 

ISAAC  WILSON  was  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  was  born  in  1831. 
His  father,  Isaac  Wilson,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  was  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  this  State.  Our  subject  was  reared  to  farming,  and  was 
educated  at  the  frontier  school  of  his  early  day.  In  1860,  in  Iowa,  he 
married  Miss  Catherine  Maxwell,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  a  daughter 
of  James  and  Sarah  Maxwell,  who  were  farming  people  and  early  settlers 
of  Ohio.  In  1833,  they  came  to  Indiana,  and  afterward  moved  to  Iowa, 
where  they  ended  their  lives.  January  17,  1880,  our  subject  departed 
this  life,  at  his  home  in  this  township,  on  Section  17.  His  widow  still 
resides  on  the  farm,  which  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  township.  It  com- 
prises 300  acres,  is  well  cultivated,  and  is  adorned  with  two  and  one-half 


HONEY  CREEK  TOWNSHir.  281 

miles  of  hedge.  Mrs.  Wilson  has  borne  her  husband  seven  children — 
Anna,  William  (deceased),  James  (deceased),  Herbert,  Charles,  Rose  and 
Harry. 


HONEY   CREEK   TOWNSHIP. 

JOHN  A.  BATSON  was  born  in  Berrien  County,  Mich.,  August 
31,  1842.  He  came  to  White  County  in  1875,  and  engaged  in  the  drug 
business  at  Reynolds  until  September,  1882,  when  he  sold  out  to  John 
Brucker.  During  this  time,  he  spent  his  leisure  hours  in  the  study  of 
law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  White  County  in  November,  1878, 
since  when  he  has  been  engaged  in  practice.  His  preparatory  course 
was  gained  through  self-instruction,  he  having  begun  with  Webster's 
Elementary  Spelling  Book,  and  advancing  to  Arnold's  Latin  Dictionary; 
the  fixed  sciences  received  due  attention,  and  he  also  became  a  proficient 
in  music,  for  seven  years  giving  lessons  on  the  piano  and  organ.  Septem- 
ber 13,  1872,  he  was  married  to  Marion  H.  Beam,  a  native  of  Michigan, 
and  daughter  of  John  Q.  Beam,  now  one  of  the  Commissioners  of  White 
County,  and  to  this  union  one  son  and  one  daughter  have  been  born.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Batson  is  independent,  but  was  formerly  identified  with  the 
Republican  party,  and  for  over  three  years  was  Postmaster  at  Reynolds. 
He  is  at  present  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Town  Trustees,  and  also  a  mem- 
ber of  Niles  Commandery,  K.  T.,  No.  12,  of  Niles,  Mich. 

JOHN  Q.  BEAM  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Md.,  August  6, 
1824,  and  is  the  seventh  of  the  ten  children  born  to  John  and  Nancy 
(Zimmerman)  Beam,  the  former  a  native  of  Germany  and  the  latter  of 
Maryland.  John  Beam,  who  was  born  in  1787,  came  with  his  parents 
to  the  United  States  when  he  was  but  eight  years  of  age,  settled  in  Mary- 
land, there  learned  the  miller's  trade,  and  there  married,  and  in  1832 
moved  to  what  is  now  Wyandot  County,  Ohio,  where  he  followed  his  trade 
until  the  spring  of  1853,  when  he  moved  to  St.  Joseph  County,  Mich., 
where  he  died  in  June,  1856.  John  Q,  Beam  was  reared  a  miller,  but  at 
the  age  of  fifteen  began  working  by  the  month  at  farm  labor,  which  he 
continued  in  Ohio  and  Michigan  until  1847,  when  he  went  to  work  in  a 
distillery  at  Flowerfield,  St.  Joseph  County,  Mich.,  in  1854,  became  a 
partner,  and  sole  proprietor  in  1861.  In  1849,  he  bought  a  farm  in 
Kalamazoo  County,  Mich.,  and  in  connection  with  his  stilling  conducted 
farming  until  1862  or  1863.  From  1863  to  1874,  he  devoted  his  entire 
attention  to  farming  and  stock -shipping,  and  in  the  last  named  year  came 
to  Reynolds  and  bought  the  flouring  mill,  which  is  now  doing  an  excellent 
business.     July  2,  1847,  he  married    Hannah  M.    Wheeler,  a  native  of 


282  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

Hartford,  Conn.,  who  has  borne  him  one  daughter — Marion  H.,  now  Mrs. 
John  A.  Batson.  Mr.  Beam  served  as  Highway  Commissioner  for  six 
years  in  St.  Joseph  County,  Mich.,  and  was  also  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  but  refused  to  qualify ;  in  1880,  he  was  elected  one  of  the  Com- 
missioners of  this  county,  which  office  he  still  holds.  At  present  he  is 
identified  with  the  National  Greenback  party. 

ISAAC  BEASEY,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Bartholomew  County,  Ind.,  Jan- 
uary 19,  1827,  and  is  the  sixth  of  the  sixteen  children  born  to  Isaac 
and  Nancy  (Penny)  Beasey,  natives  respectively  of  the  Eastern  shore  of 
Maryland  and  of  Johnson  County,  Ohio.  Isaac  Beasey,  Sr.,  was  mar- 
ried in  Johnson  County,  Ohio,  where  he  farmed  in  shares  several  years ; 
in  about  1824,  he  moved  to  Bartholomew  County,  and  in  the  fall  of  1837 
came  to  Big  Creek  Township,  this  county,  where  he  entered 
eighty  acres,  and  also  eighty  acres  in  this  township ;  in  1852, 
he  moved  to  Monticello,  and  engaged  in  teaming  for  about  five 
years.  He  then  bought  a  farm  lying  partly  in  White  and 
partly  in  Pulaski  County,  where,  on  the  morning  of  April  15,  1869, 
as  he  was  driving  from  his  pasture  some  of  a  neighbor's  trespassing  cat- 
tle, he  was  shot  dead  by  their  owner,  Philip  Reeder,  who  was  sentenced 
to  the  penitentiary  for  life  for  the  crime.  Mrs.  Beasey  died 
in  White  County  in  1853.  Isaac  Beasey  remained  on  the  home 
farm  until  twenty-two  years  of  age  ;  then  farmed  on  shares  in  Big 
Creek  Township,  this  county,  about  six  years,  and  then  came  to  this 
township  and  farmed  on  the  same  terms  five  years.  In  the  fall  of  1864, 
he  bought  forty  acres  in  Honey  Creek,  on  which  he  still  resides.  July 
2,  1861,  he  married  Mary  J.  Reeves,  a  native  of  Carroll  County,  Ind., 
who  has  borne  him  five  children — Samuel  M.  and  Catherine  M.  Mrs. 
Beasey  died  October  10,  1880,  a  strict  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  ;  Mr.  Beasey  is  also  a  member  of  the  same,  and  in  politics  is 
a  Democrat. 

JOHN  BRUCKER  was  born  in  Wittenburg,  Germany,  November 
23,  1850,  and  is  the  second  of  the  seven  children  born  to  Jacob  F.  and 
Caroline  (Keller)  Brucker.  The  father  was  a  wagon-maker,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1853  brought  his  family  to  the  United  States,  settling  first  in 
Logan,  Hocking  County,  Ohio,  where  he  followed  his  trade  until  1866, 
when  he  came  to  La  Fayette,  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind.,  where  he  remained 
one  year.  In  1867,  he  came  to  Reynolds,  this  township,  where  he  pur- 
sued his  calling  until  1873,  when  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business. 
He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  John  Brucker  re- 
ceived a  very  fair  education  in  his  youth,  and  was  then  taught  wagon- 
making,  which  trade  he  followed  until  twenty-four  years  old,  when  he 
opened  a  blacksmith  shop  at  Reynolds,  and  conducted  it  for  eight  years. 


HONEY  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  283 

He  next  bought  a  drug  store  at  the  same  place,  which  he  still  carries  on 
■with  eminent  success.  November  24,  1873,  he  married  Rebecca  Ridge- 
way,  a  native  of  Virginia,  who  has  borne  him  three  children.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Brucker  is  a  Democrat,  and  for  two  years  was  Township  Trustee, 
three  years  Treasurer  of  the  School  Board  at  Reynolds,  and  is  now  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Town  Trustees. 

NATHANIEL  BUNNELL,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio, 
December  27,  1805,  and  is  the  fourth  of  the  twelve  children  born  to 
Nathaniel  and  Elizabeth  (Donaven)  Bunnell,  natives  respectively  of  New 
Jersey  and  Kentucky.  Nathaniel,  Sr.,  was  born  in  June,  1778,  went  to 
Kentucky  at  the  age  of  ten,  and  was  there  reared  and  there  married. 
When  a  young  man,  he  and  others  navigated  a  pirogue  of  goods  from 
from  Marysville  to  Chillicothe,  which  was  the  first  boat  load  of  mer- 
chandise ever  landed  at  that  point.  About  1800,  he  moved  from  Ken- 
tucky to  Highland  County,  Ohio,  then  to  Ross  County,  then  to  Warren 
County,  then  to  Clark  County,  Ohio,  and  next,  in  the  fall  of  1833,  to  Big 
Creek  Township,  this  county,  and  here  he  died  in  1850.  He  had 
been  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812  ;  was  a  life-long"  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  for  many  years  an  exhorter.  Nathaniel 
Bunnell,  Jr.,  received  only  a  frontier  education,  and  was  employed  on 
the  home  farm  until  his  majority  ;  he  then  worked  out  for  about  five 
years,  then  farmed  his  father's  place  on  shares  several  years,  and  in  1833 
came  to  Big  Creek  Township,  and  entered  160  acres,  which  he  increased 
to  600,  a  part  of  which  he  subsequently  deeded  to  his  children, 
retaining  360  acres.  In  1867,  he  relinquished  work,  and  came  to  Rey- 
nolds, where  he  resides  in  retirement.  December  29,  1831,  he  married 
Susanna  Runnyon,  a  native  of  Clark  County,  Ohio,  who  bore  him  ten  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  are  living,  excepting  Nathaniel  W.,  who  fell  at  Gettys- 
burg, leaving  a  widow  and  three  children.  Mrs.  Susanna  Bunnell  died  in 
June,  1873,  an  active  member,  from  girlhood,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  August  25,  1875,  Mr.  Bunnell  married  Mrs.  Mary  A.  (Bartlett- 
Buchanan)  McNealey,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  Mr.  B.  was  once  Trustee  of 
Big  Creek  Township  ;  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  over  fifty-one  years,  had  four  sons  in  the  late  war,  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  a  zealous  temperance  man. 

B.  BUNNELL  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  April  2,  1807, 
and  is  the  fifth  of  the  twelve  children  born  to  Nathaniel  and  Eliza- 
beth (Donaven)  Bunnell.  He  was  an  infant  when  his  parents  moved  to 
Warren  County,  Ohio,  and  in  April,  1816,  they  moved  to  Clark  County, 
whore  he  was  employed  on  the  home  farm  until  he  was  twenty-one,  after 
which  he  worked  out  until  October  1,  1834,  when  he  came  to  Big  Creek 
Township,  this  county,  and  bought  160  acres  of  wild  land,  on  which  he 


284  BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  : 

built  a  hewed-log  house,  and  there  worked  out  a  farm,  which  he  increased 
to  335  acres,  a  part  of  which  he  has  since  conveyed  to  his  children.  He  was 
married,  August  16,  1832,  to  Sophia  Bumgardener,  daughter  of  Andrew 
and  Felicia  (Lynch)  Bumgardener,  natives  of  Virginia,  and  of  German 
and  English  descent.  She  was  born  in  Spring  Valley,  Ohio,  August  23, 
1810,  and  died  in  this  township  January  23,  1883,  a  life-long  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  the  mother  of  eight  children,  of 
whom  four  are  still  living  ;  of  these,  one  son — George  W. — was  a  soldier 
in  the  late  war  for  over  three  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bunnell  were  among 
the  ten  members  who  formed  the  first  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  ever 
organized  in  White  County,  near  Big  Creek,  in  the  township  of  that  name, 
in  1834,  under  the  Rev.  Mr.  Clark.  Mr.  Bunnell  is  a  Republican,  and 
is  one  of  the  oldest  surviving  pioneers  of  the  county. 

A.  R.  BUNNELL  was  born  in  Clark  County,  Ohio,  October  16, 
1832,  and  is  the  eldest  of  ten  children  born  to  Nathaniel  (Jr.)  and  Susanna 
(Runnyon)  Bunnell.  He  received  the  rudiments  of  an  education  at  the 
frontier  schoolhouse,  and,  by  subsequent  study,  improved  it  to  more  than 
the  ordinary  limits.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  after  leaving  the  home 
farm,  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  at  which  he  was  engaged,  as  jour- 
neyman, from  the  spring  until  the  fall  of  1856,  in  Minnesota,  when  he 
returned  to  Indiana  and  cast  his  first  vote  for  Fremont.  In  the  spring 
of  1857,  he  went  to  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  two 
years,  and  then  for  two  years  was  employed  in  flat-boating  on  the  Mis- 
souri River.  In  the  fall  of  1861,  he  returned  to  Indiana,  and  farmed  his 
father's  place  on  shares  until  February,  1864,  when  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany F,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry. 
During  the  Atlanta  campaign  he  was  taken  prisoner,  August  16,  1864, 
and  was  confined  in  the  pens  of  Andersonville,  Savannah,  Wilbern,  Black- 
shire,  Florence  and  Libby.  From  the  last  prison,  he  was  exchanged  in 
the  spring  of  1865,  and  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  June  9  following. 
He  again  farmed  his  father's  place  on  shares  until  the  spring  of  1868, 
when  he  bought  the  farm  of  110  acres  in  this  township  on  which  he  still 
resides.  December  25,  1862,  he  married  Susan  M.  Rinker,  daughter  of 
Joshua  and  Louisa  (Reece)  Rinker,  and  a  native  of  White  County.  The 
children  born  to  this  marriage  are  Clark,  Frank,  Cora  arid  Ora.  Mr. 
Bunnell  has  been  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  the  past  three  years,  and  he 
and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.. 

ROBERT  M.  DELZELL,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Blount  County,  Term., 
November  8,  1843,  and  is  the  eldest  of  the  eight  children  born  to  Will- 
iam and  Mary  J.  (McTeer)  Delzell,  both  natives  of  Tennessee,  and  of  Irish 
and  Scotch  descent.  In  about  1750,  three  brothers  and  a  sister — John, 
Robert,  James  and  Rosanna  Delzell — came  to  America,  two  brothers  set- 


HONEY  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  285 

tling  in  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  respectively,  and  Rosanna  and  her 
brother  John  in  Tennessee,  where  she  married  Henry  Ferguson,  and 
from  these  brothers  it  is  thought  all  the  Delzells  in  the  United  States  are 
descended.  William  Delzell  followed  tanning  in  Tennessee  till  1851, 
when  he  moved  to  Crawford  County,  111.,  entered  120  acres  of  land,  and 
there  remained  until  his  death,  October  9,  1861.  Robert  M.  Delzell  re- 
ceived a  good  academical  and  collegiate  education,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty  began  to  make  his  own  way  through  the  world.  In  October,  1864, 
he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-second  Indiana  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  mustered 
out  at  Indianapolis  July  14,  1865.  In  July,  1866,  be  came  to  Monti- 
cello,  this  county,  and  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  W,  S. 
Haymond.  He  pursued  his  studies  and  taught  school  alternately  until 
March,  1869,  when  he  settled  in  Reynolds  and  began  practice,  of  which 
he  has  now  an  extensive  share.  December  30,  1869,  he  married  Mary 
E.  Bristow,  a  native  of  Parke  County,  Ind.,  who  has  borne  him  two  chil- 
dren— Anna  L.  and  Mary  E.  The  Doctor  is  a  Democrat ;  was  for  six 
years  Township  Trustee  ;  has  for  several  years  been  Secretary  of  the  School 
Board  of  Reynolds,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 

ANSEL  Mi  DICKINSON-was  born  in  West  Fairlee,  Vt.,  January 
24,  1815,  and  is  the  third  of  the  four  children  born  to  Ira  and  Dollie  W. 
(Fairbanks)  Dickinson,  both  natives  of  Massachusetts,  and  of  English 
descent.  Ira  Dickinson  was  married  in  his  native  State,  and  soon  after 
removed  to  Orange  County,  Vt.,  and  for  several  years  was  engaged  in 
rearing  sheep.  In  1817,  he  returned  to  Massachusetts,  and  died  in 
Hampshire  County,  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  Ansel  Dick- 
inson, when  but  eighteen  months  old,  lost  his  mother,  and  until  the  age 
of  seventeen  years  was  reared  among  strangers.  He  then  learned  broom- 
making,  and  followed  the  trade  in  Massachusetts,  New  York,  Ohio,  Illi- 
nois, Iowa  and  Indiana  for  more  than  thirty  years.  In  the  fall  of  1843, 
he  came  to  Pittsburgh,  Carroll  County,  this  State,  and,  in  the  spring  fol- 
lowing, to  this  county,  where  for  a  number  of  years  he  worked  at  his 
trade  and  farmed  on  shares.  In  the  spring  of  1849,  he  bought  the  farm 
of  128  acres  in  this  township,  where  he  yet  lives.  January  28,  1851,  he 
married  Martha  Harris,  of  Illinois,  who  bore  him  five  children,  and  died 
November  2,  1874.  Mr.  Dickinson  is  a  Republican,  and  under  the  old 
Constitution  was  Trustee  of  the  township  one  term  ;  he  likewise  served  as 
County  Commissioner  three  terms — from  1860  to  1869.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 

JEREMIAH  E.  DUNHAM  was  born  in  Logansport,  Cass  Couuty, 
Ind.,  January  16,  1840,  and  is  one  of  the  ten  children  born  to  Enoch  and 
Leonora  B.  (Selover)    Dunham,    both    natives  of  Long  Branch,    N.   J. 


286  BIOaRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

Enoch  Dunham  was  a  physician,  and  soon  after  his  marriage  in  Long 
Branch  moved  to  Ohio,  and  a  short  time  after  to  Logansport,  where  he 
followed  his  profession  until  his  death  in  1868.  Jeremiah  E.  Dunham, 
at  the  age  of  sixteen,  began  teaching  school  at  Logansport ;  from  1861 
to  1865,  he  was  agent  for  the  T.,  P.  &  W.  R.  R.,  at  Burnettsville,  this 
county  ;  April  14,  1865,  he  moved  to  Reynolds,  and  read  law  under  R. 
W.  Sill  for  three  years,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  January,  1868  ; 
in  1869,  he  took  charge  of  the  school  at  Reynolds,  and  taught  four  and  a 
half  years ;  one  year  and  a  half  before  leaving  the  school  he  started  the 
White  County  Register,  teaching  during  the  day  and  setting  type  at 
night ;  in  October,  1879,  he  opened  a  grocery  store,  and  has  been  doing 
a  good  business  ever  since;  September  4,  1879,  he  married  Mrs.  Mary 
B.  (Brady)  Arrick,  a  native  of  this  county,  who  has  borne  him  one  daugh- 
ter— Leonora  E.  She  is  also  the  mother  of  four  children  by  her  former 
husband.  In  politics,  Mr.  Dunham  is  a  Republican  ;  was  Clerk  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  for  many  years  and  is  now  Treasurer  of  said  board. 

GABRIEL  EBERHARD  was  born  in  Union  County,  Penn.,  May 
28,  1815,  and  is  the  third  of  the  fourteen  children  born  to  Barnet  and 
Susanna  (Henry)  Eberhard,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  German  de- 
scent. Barnet  Eberhard  in  early  years  was  a  hatter,  but  later  became  a 
cooper,  which  trade  he  ran  in  connection  with  farming  in  Mifflin  County, 
Penn.,  where  he  still  lives.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812  ;  was 
married  in  his  native  State,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 
Gabriel  Eberhard  lived  with  his  parents  until  twenty-one,  learning  farm- 
ing and  coopering  ;  he  then  farmed  on  shares  in  Mifflin  County  for  five 
years,  when  he  bought  a  saw  mill,  which  he  ran  until  1852  ;  he  then  sold 
and  moved  to  Huntingdon  County  ;  a  year  later,  he  returned  to  Mifflin 
County  and  bought  a  farm,  and  engaged  in  making  shingles  in  connection 
with  farming,  until  December,  1856,  when  he  came  to  Union  Township, 
this  county,  bought  forty  acres  of  land  which,  in  the  spring  of  1869,  he 
sold,  and  came  to  this  township  and  purchased  the  eighty  acres  on  which 
he  now  resides.  August  28,  1836,  he  married  Anna  M.  Knepp,  of  Union 
County,  Penn.,  who  bore  him  five  children,  and  died  April  7,  1846,  a 
member  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church.  October  15,  1853,  he 
married  Mrs.  Catherine  (Yeter)  Knepp,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  to  this 
union  have  been  left  four  children.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eberhard  are 
members  of  the  German  Baptist  Church,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat. 

ROBISON  FLEEGER  was  born  in  Juniata  County,  Penn.,  Decem- 
ber 7,  1829,  and  is  the  eldest  of  the  five  living  children  of  Michael  and 
Elizabeth  (McCrum)  Fleeger,  the  former  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  and 
the  latter  of  Pennsylvania.     Michael   Fleeger  was  born  in  1795,  and   is 


HONKY  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  287 

now  probably  the  oldest  man  in  White  County.  He  is  a  tailor,  and  was 
married  in  Juniata  County,  Penn. ;  he  came  to  Princeton  Township,  this 
county,  in  1852,  and  worked  at  his  trade  until  1879,  and  then  retired  to 
private  life.  He  served  through  the  war  of  1812,  and  is  the  only  pen- 
sioner of  that  war  in  the  county.  His  wife  died  in  the  fall  of  1863,  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Robison  Fleeger,  from  the  age  of 
twelve  to  twenty,  worked  out  on  a  farm  and  then  chopped  wood,  at  40 
cents  per  cord,  for  three  years,  in  his  native  State  ;  then  farmed  on  shares 
for  two  years.  In  October,  1854,  he  came  to  Princeton  Township,  this 
county ;  bought  120  acres  of  unimproved  land,  and  wrought  out  a  farm, 
which  he  still  owns.  He  did  a  great  deal  of  hunting  and  trapping,  gen- 
erally clearing  from  $400  to  |500  during  the  winter,  and  he  has  also 
been  quite  extensively  engaged  in  bee  culture,  and  has  amassed  a  hand- 
some property,  although  he  lost  $6,000  a  few  years  ago  by  becoming 
surety  for  a  neighbor.  October  14,  1851,  he  married  Isabella  Logue,  a 
native  Canada,  who  has  borne  him  five  children,  three  of  whom  are  still 
living.  In  April,  1881,  Mr.  Fleeger  came  to  Reynolds,  where  he  is  now 
engaged  in  the  grain  and  coal  trade  and  in  the  sale  of  agricultural  im- 
plements. In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  for  three  terms  he  served 
as  Trustee  of  Princeton  Township,  and  is  at  present  Trustee  of  Honey 
Creek. 

JOHN  HAGEN,  was  born  in  Germany  January  1,  1830,  and 
is  the  youngest  of  three  children  born  to  John  and  Margaret  (Holte) 
Hagen.  John  Hagen,  Sr.,  was  a  sawyer  in  the  old  country  ;  in  1859, 
he  came  to  America  and  resided  with  our  subject  until  his  death,  April 
16,  1860.  John  Hagen,  Jr.,  was  employed  at  farming  in  Germany  un- 
til July,  1854,  when  he  and  wife  came  to  America,  locating  first  at 
Bradford,  or  Monon,  this  county,  afterward  moving  to  Reynolds.  For 
the  first  two  years  he  was  employed  as  a  laborer  on  the  N.  A.  R.  R., 
and  for  the  following  fifteen  years  as  foreman.  In  1870,  he  bought  eighty 
acres  of  wild  land  in  this  township,  to  which  he  has  since  added  forty 
acres  and  put  all  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  June  7,  1854,  he  mar- 
ried Sophia  Schrader,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  has  borne  him  nine  chil- 
dren, of  whom  four  are  yet  living — Ernestine  J.,  Eliza  M.,  Emma  L. 
and  Amelia  H.  In  politics,  Mr.  Hagen  is  a  Democrat,  and  both  he  and 
wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

GOTTFRIED  HEIMLICH  was  born  in  Germany  January  27, 
1825,  and  is  the  younger  of  the  two  children  still  living  born  to  Gottlieb 
and  Susanna  Heimlich.  The  father  was  a  farmer  and  died  in  his  native 
Germany  in  1829,  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  Gottfried  Heim- 
lich attended  school  from  the  age  of  six  until  fourteen,  and  then  worked 
on  the  home  place  until   twenty-one ;  he   then,  for  four  years,  served  in 


288  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

the  Prussian  Army,  taking  part  in  the  civil  war  in  Baden  and  Southern 
Germany.  In 'the  early  part  of  1852,  he  came  to  the  United  States; 
stopped  at  Milwaukee  two  months,  then  went  to  Wanatah,  Ind.,  and 
thence  came  to  Reynolds  in  June  of  the  same  year,  and  worked  on  the 
N.  A.  &  S.  R.  R.  two  years,  and  two  years  on  the  P.,  C.  &  St.  L.  R. 
R.  In  January,  1865,  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and 
Fifty-second  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  until  mustered  out 
in  the  fall  of  same  year.  In  1856,  he  bought  forty  acres  of  wild  land  in 
Big  Creek  Township,  which  he  has  since  increased  to  225  well-improved 
acres,  extending  into  Section  33,  this  township,  where  his  residence  now 
stands.  In  the  fall  of  1853,  he  married  Rosa  Languor,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, who  bore  him  two  children  (both  now  deceased),  and  died  in  1805, 
a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  In  October,  1856,  he  married  Polly 
Quada,  a  native  of  Posen,  Germany,  who  bore  him  twelve  children,  and 
died  in  April,  1879,  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  of  which  Mr. 
Heimlich  is  also  a  member.  Of  these  twelve  children,  eight  are  yet 
living. 

CHARLES  HEIMLICH  &  BRO.,  at  Reynolds,  are  doing  a  good 
business  in  the  manufacture  of  wagons,  at  blacksmithing  and  in  the 
selling  of  agricultural  implements  of  all  kinds.  The  firm  is  composed  of 
Charles  F.  and  John  Heimlich,  sons  of  Gottfried  and  Polly  (Quada) 
Heimlich,  natives  of  Germany.  Charles  Heimlich  was  born  in  Honey 
Creek  Township  February  16,  1859  ;  received  a  very  fair  education  at  the 
common  schools,  and  was  employed  on  his  father's  farm  until  twenty 
years  old  ;  he  then  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  at  black- 
smithing  and  wagon-making.  In  1882,  he  and  his  brother  John  bought 
out  John  Brucker  at  Reynolds,  and  are  now  doing  a  prosperous  business. 
John  Heimlich,  the  junior  member  of  the  firm,  was  born  also  in  Honey 
Creek  December  27,  1861;  received  a  fair  education,  and  is  now  learning 
his  trade  under  the  tuition  of  his  brother.  Both  the  brothers  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  in  politics  both  are  Democrats. 

CAPT.  JAMES  HESS  was  born  in  Findlay,  Ohio,  February  10, 
1839,  and  is  the  fourth  of  the  ten  children  born  to  John  and  Elizabeth 
D.  (Sanderson)  Hess,  natives  respectively  of  Pennsylvania  and  Vermont, 
and  of  Welsh  and  English  descent.  John  Hess  was  a  brick  mason ;  he 
was  married  in  Huron  County,  Ohio,  and  in  1834  moved  to  Hancock 
County  ;  in  1852,  he  removed  to  Branch  County,  Mich.,  and  in  1856 
came  to  Big  Creek  Township,  this  county,  and  in  the  following  year  to 
this  township,  where  he  died  January  1,  1873.  James  Hess  never  at- 
tended school,  even  for  one  day,  but  since  his  majority  has  acquired  a 
sound  knowledge  of  practical  affairs ;  he  learned  the  mason's  trade  from 
his  father,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  in  April,  1861,  enlisted  in  Com- 


HONEV  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  289 

pany  K,  Tenth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  a  term  of  three 
months.  In  October,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Forty-sixth  In- 
diana Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  until  December,  1864,  when  he  was 
mustered  out  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  having  been  promoted  through  all  the 
intermediate  grades  to  a  Captaincy,  receiving  his  commission  September 
12,  1863,  as  Captain  of  Company  G,  Forty-sixth  Indiana  Volunteer  In- 
fantry. He  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Rich  Mountain,  New  Madrid,  St. 
Charles,  Ark.,  Fort  Pemberton,  Grand  Gulf,  the  Vicksburg  campaign 
and  the  expedition  up  the  Red  River  under  Gen.  Banks,  and  he  it  was 
who  planted  the  first  Federal  flag  on  the  ramparts  of  Fort  Pillow.  In 
the  fall  of  1874,  he  settled  on  seventy-four  acres  in  this  township.  He 
was  married,  February  21,  1866,  to  Lottie  E.  Lawson,  a  native  of 
Sweden,  who  has  borne  him  three  children — Lena,  Mary  D.  and  Clarrie 
W.     Capt.  Hess  is  a  Freemason,  and  in  politics,  a  Democrat. 

ABEL  J.  HOLTAM  was  born  in  Gloucestershire,  England,  June 
6,  1826,  and  is  the  eldest  of  the  four  children  born  to  Joseph  and  Sarah 
(Harris)  Holtam.  Joseph  Holtam,  a  baker  and  grocer,  came  with  his 
family  to  America  in  1844,  and  settled  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  Avhere  he  car- 
ried on  a  grocery  three  or  four  years  and  then  came  to  Reynolds,  this 
township,  where  he  opened  a  grocery  and  bakery  in  connection  with  a 
saloon,  which  he  conducted  until  his  death  in  May,  1880.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  church  of  England,  and  had  prospered  well  in  life,  own- 
ing, at  the  time  of  his  death,  a  good  farm  and  valuable  town  property. 
Abel  J.  Holtam  was  taught  the  baker's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  sev- 
eral years  in  England  and  in  America.  In  1848,  he  located  in  La  Porte, 
Ind.,  and  followed  the  grocery  and  baking  business  until  1856,  when  he 
came  to  Reynolds  and  engaged  in  the  same  business.  In  1859,  he 
abandoned  baking  and  added  a  saloon  to  his  grocery,  which  he  ran  until 
May,  1882,  when  he  withdrew  into  retirement.  Mr.  Holtam  was  first 
married  to  Sarah  Gerver,  a  native  of  the  North  of  Ireland,  who  died  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1870.  April  17,  1870,  he  married,  Pauline  Schwantes,  a 
native  of  Prussia,  who  has  borne  him  one  son — Joseph  William.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Holtam  is  a  Democrat ;  he  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and  his  wife  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

WINFIELD  S.  JOHNSON  was  born  in  Princeton  Township,  this 
county,  September  17,  1847,  and  is  the  eldest  of  the  five  living  children 
of  Robert  C.  and  Mary  (White)  Johnson,  natives  of  Ohio.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  or  eighteen,  Robert  Johnson  was  brought  by  his  parents  to 
Tippecanoe  County,  this  State;  he  was  there  married  in  1842,  and  the 
following  year  came  to  Princeton  Township,  where  he  entered  eighty 
acres,  which  he  subsequently  increased  to  600 ;  in  1866,  he  moved  to 
Battle  Ground  to  have  his  children  educated,  and  returned  in  1870 ;  he 


290  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

had  joined  the  Methodist  Church  when  a  youth,  but  shortly  after  mar- 
riage he  and  wife  united  with  the  Christian  Church,  of  which,  in  about 
1846,  he  became  a  regularly  ordained  minister,  and  was  the  first  resident 
minister  in  Princeton  Township,  and  the  first  to  organize  a  religious 
society  there ;  he  traveled  extensively  and  preached  until  his  death  in 
December,  1876,  In  politics,  he  had  been  a  Whig,  but  afterward  became 
a  Republican,  and  was  noted  for  his  zeal  in  the  support  of  the  adminis- 
tration during  the  late  war;  he  was  also  for  several  years  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  Princeton  Township.  Winfield  S.  Johnson  was  educated  at  the 
common  schools,  and  for  four  years  at  the  high  school  at  Battle  Ground. 
He  then  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising  with  his  father  until  the 
spring  of  1879,  when  he  came  to  Reynolds  and  opened  a  general  store  in 
company  with  W.  A.  Hennegar,  who  retired  in  October,  1881,  Mr. 
John  B.  Foltz  taking  his  place  in  March,  1882,  the  firm  name  being 
Johnson  &  Co.  They  carry  a  well-selected  stock  of  dry  goods,  groceries, 
clothing,  hats,  caps,  boots  and  shoes,  notions,  etc.,  and  do  an  annual  busi- 
ness of  |20,000.  Mr.  Johnson  was  married,  October  12,  1871,  to  Louisa 
A.  R.  Osman,  native  of  La  Porte  County,  Ind.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  in  November,  1881,  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Reynolds, 
which  position  he  still  holds. 

M.  NEIDENBERGER  &  SON,  hardware  dealers  of  Reynolds,  carry 
a  large  and  well-selected  stock,  valued  at  from  $2,000  to  |2,500,  their 
annual  sales  reaching  $7,000  to  $8,000.  They  also  do  a  large  tin  manu- 
facturing business.  They  began  trade  in  1879,  having  purchased  the 
stock  of  goods  then  held  by  James  Eads.  Mathias  Neidenberger,  senior 
member  of  the  firm,  was  born  in  Bavaria  March  26,  1814 ;  he  was 
brought  up  to  the  tailor's  trade,  and  in  1831  came  to  the  United  States, 
settling  in  New  York  City,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  about  two 
years;  he  then  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  worked  about  fifteen  years; 
thence  he  went  to  Collinsville,  111.,  and  in  1879  came  to  Reynolds  and 
engaged  in  the  hardware  trade  an(^  the  manufacture  of  tinware.  He  was 
married,  in  St.  Louis,  to  Christina  Bechtoldt,  a  native  of  Baden,  Ger- 
many, who  bore  him  ten  children.  Christian  G.  Neidenberger,  the  junior 
partner  of  the  firm,  was  the  seventh  child  in  this  family  of  ten,  and  was 
born  in  Collinsville,  111.,  February  1,  1857,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
began  to  learn  the  tinner's  trade,  which  he  has  followed  ever  since,  and 
is  universally  acknowledged  to  be  a  skillful  workman.  The  elder  Mr. 
Neidenberger  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

PARIS  NORDYKE  was  born  in  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind.,  July  21, 
1838,  and  is  the  youngest  of  the  six  children  bom  to  Robert  and  Eliza- 
beth (Shaw)  Nordyke,  both  natives  of  North  Carolina  and  of  English 
descent.     Robert  Nordyke,  a  farmer,  was  married  in  North  Carolina  and 


HONEY  CREEK   TOWNSHIP.  291 

came  to  Tippecanoe  County  about  1825,  being  among  tlie  pioneers  ;  in 
1846,  he  moved  to  Princeton  Township,  this  county,  and  settled  on  400 
acres  of  land  he  had  entered  about  two  years  previously,  cleared  up  a 
farm,  and  there  died  in  1847,  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends ;  after 
her  husband's  death,  his  widow  withdrew  from  the  Quaker  faith  and 
joined  the  Methodist  Church.  Paris  Nordyke,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one, 
left  the  home  farm  and  worked  out  by  the  month  until  July,  1861,  when 
he  enlisted  in  Company  K,  Twentieth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
served  until  after  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  where  he  was  severely 
wounded ;  he  was  then  sent  to  Indianapolis,  where  he  was  clerk  in  the 
oflBce  of  Gen.  J.  S.  Simonson  until  May,  1865,  when  he  was  discharged. 
On  his  return,  he  bought  out  a  store  in  Wolcott,  this  county,  and  carried 
on  a  general  trade  for  one  year,  and  then  moved  to  Reynolds,  where  he 
clerked  until  the  spring  of  1870 ;  then  he  went  to  State  Line  and  was 
employed  in  a  railroad  oflSce  a  year,  and  in  1871  returned  to  Reynolds, 
where  he  has  ever  since  been  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade.  April  26, 
1868,  he  married  Sarah  E.  Jewett,  a  native  of  Miami  County,  Ind.,  who 
has  borne  him  three  children,  two  yet  living — Gertie  E.  and  Earl  J, 
Mr.  Nordyke  is  a  Freemason.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  has 
been  for  several  years  a  member  of  the  School  Board  at  Reynolds. 

LIEUT.  JUDSON  S.  PAUL  was  born  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio, 
September  1,  1838,  and  is  the  sixth  of  the  seven  children  born  to  Jacob 
and  Elizabeth  (Harding)  Paul,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia, 
and  respectively  of  Welsh  and  English  descent.  At  the  age  of  five,  in 
1807,  Jacob  Paul  was  taken  to  Morgan  County,  Ohio,  by  his  parents, 
and  was  there  reared,  educated  and  married,  and  for  many  years  followed 
farming.  Subsequently,  he  came  to  White  County,  and  purchased  prop- 
erty in  the  village  of  Bradford  or  Monon,  where  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Paul 
died,  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  since  then  Mr.  Paul  has  re- 
sided with  his  children,  at  present  making  his  home  with  Judson  S.  The 
latter  received  a  good  education  in  the  common  and  high  schools  of  his 
native  State,  and  worked  with  his  father  on  the  farm  until  1861,  when 
he  entered  Miller's  Academy,  in  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  and  interrupted 
his  studies  there  in  August,  1862.  by  enlisting  in  Company  C,  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-second  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  At  the 
organization  of  this  company,  he  was  elected  Second  Lieutenant,  and  he 
was  with  his  regiment  in  all  its  engagements  until  June  15,  1863,  when 
he  was  taken  prisoner  at  Winchester,  Va.,  and  sent  to  Libby  Prison; 
thence  to  Macon,  Ga.;  thence  to  Charleston  (where  for  a  time  the  pris- 
oners were  placed  under  the  fire  of  the  Federal  fleet,  then  shelling  the 
city),  and  thence  to  Camp  Sorghum,  near  Columbia,  S.  C,  from  which 
prison  Mr.  Paul  and  others  made  their  escape  November  15,   1864,  and 


292  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

by  nocturnal  and  secret  travel  made  their  way  to  a  point  about  200 
miles  north  in  Cherokee  County,  where  they  were  re-captured  by  Thom- 
as's legion  of  Indians,  taken  to  Greenville,  S.  C,  and  placed  in  jail, 
from  which  they  were  released  by  the  jailer's  daughter,  only  to  be  re-capt- 
ured three  days  later.  In  March,  1865,  Mr.  Paul  was  sent  to  Rich- 
mond, was  paroled  April  2,  and  discharged  May  15,  1865.  In  the  fall, 
he  came  to  Union  Township,  this  county,  and  engaged  there  with  his 
brother  in  farming  and  stock-raising  until  the  fall  of  1868,  when  he 
bought  the  farm  in  this  township  on  which  he  now  lives.  December  4, 
1868,  he  married  Anna  McCuaig,  a  native  of  Washington  County,  Ohio, 
who  has  borne  him  five  children — Harriet,  William  J,,  Daniel,  James 
and  Joseph  E,  Lieut.  Paul  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  in  politics 
is  a  stanch  Republican. 

WILLIAM  H.  RINKER  was  born  in  Union  Township,  this  county. 
May  26,  1886,  and  is  the  third  of  the  eight  children  born  to  Joshua  and 
Louisa  (Reece)  Rinker,  both  natives  of  Virginia,  respectively  of  German 
and  Scotch  descent,  born  June  10,  1801,  and  February  14,  1809,  and 
married  in  Hampshire  County,  Va.,  August  28,  1828.  In  1831  or 
1832,  this  couple  moved  to  Clark  County,  Ohio,  whence,  in  the  fall  of 
1834,  they  came  to  Union  Township.  For  two  years,  Joshua  farmed  on 
shares.  In  1836,  he  entered  130  acres  in  Big  Creek  and  Honey  Creek 
Townships.  He  at  first  erected  a  rude  log-cabin,  but  subsequently  built 
the  first  brick  house  ever  put  up  in  this  township.  He  died  December 
1,  1869,  a  zealous  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  in  which  for  several 
years  he  was  a  class  leader.  His  wife  had  gone  before,  April  20,  1864, 
and  she  also  was  a  worthy  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  William  H. 
Rinker  received  his  early  instruction  at  the  frontier  subscription  school, 
and  assisted  on  the  home  farm  until  twenty-three  years  old.  He  then 
farmed  on  shares  about  six  years,  and  in  the  fall  of  1866  bought  the  farm 
of  eighty  acres  on  Section  34,  this  township,  on  which  he  yet  resides. 
He  was  married,  August  19,  1860,  to  Esther  Bunnell,  a  native  of  Big 
Creek  Township,  who  has  borne  him  seven  children,  five  still  living.  In 
December,  1864,  he  enlisted  in  the  Fifty-ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, and  served  until  the  following  May,  when  he  was  discharged  at 
Indianapolis.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  both  he  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  in  which  he  has  held  various  official 
positions. 

JAMES  P.  SIMONS  was  born  in  Prairie  Township,  this  county, 
November  9,  1856,  and  is  the  eldest  of  the  seven  children  born  to  George 
H.  and  Mary  (Welch)  Simons,  the  former  a  native  of  Virginia  and  the 
latter  of  Ohio,  and  respectively  of  German  and  Welsh  descent.  In  1843, 
at  about  the  age  of  eight  years,  George   H.  Simons   came   to  Big  Creek 


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V  YORK 


HONEY   CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  295 

TowQsliip,  this  county,  with  his  parents  ;  hi*  father  died  when  he  was 
about  twelve,  after  which  he  made  his  home  with  an  aunt  until  he  was 
twenty-one ;  he  then  farmed  on  shares  for  several  years,  then  moved  to 
Butler  County,  Kan.;  bought  a  farm  and  remained  until  the  fall  of  1881, 
when  he  returned  to  White  County  and  settled  in  Union  Township,  where 
he  and  wife  now  reside,  members  of  the  Union  Baptist  Church.  James 
P.  Simons,  until  eighteen  years  old,  was  employed  by  his  father  ;  he  then 
began  teaching  school  in  winter  and  farming  in  summer,  and  has  been  so 
employed  ever  since.  In  September,  1881,  he  married  Sarah  E.  John- 
son, a  native  of  White  County,  who  has  borne  him  one  son — Walter  A. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Simons  is  a  Democrat,  and  in  Big  Creek  Township  served 
as  Deputy  Assessor  two  years.  In  November,  1882,  he  was  elected  Re- 
corder of  White  County,  receiving  a  large  majority,  and  almost  the 
entire  vote  of  his  own  township. 

JOSEPH  SKEVINGTON  was  born  in  Bedford,  England,  March  8, 
1806,  and  is  the  youngest  of  the  sixteen  children  born  to  Marcer  and 
Ann  (Parker)  Skevington.  Marcer  Skevington  was  an  employing  shoe- 
maker, was  a  member  of  the  Bunyan  Meeting-House  congregation,  which 
met  near  the  place  of  imprisonment  of  the  author  of  "  The  Pilgrim's 
Progress,"  and  died  in  1815.  Joseph  Skevington  served  an  apprentice- 
ship of  seven  years  at  tailoring,  worked  nearly  two  years  as  journeyman, 
and  in  1828  opened  a  shop  on  his  own  account.  In  the  summer  of  1851, 
he  came  to  the  United  States  and  located  at  Cincinnati,  worked  as  jour- 
neyman about  eighteen  months,  moved  to  Carthage,  Ohio,  and  thence,  in 
November,  1854,  came  to  Reynolds,  where  he  opened  a  shop  and  trans- 
acted business  until  1876,  when  he  retired.  He  was  married  in  Bedford 
in  June,  1828,  to  Lucy  Hedge,  who  bore  him  eleven  children  (five  of 
whom  are  still  living)  and  died  April  27,  1847,  a  member  of  the  Bunyan 
congregation,  in  whose  churchyard  her  remains  were  interred.  Two  of 
the  sons,  John  and  William,  served  in  our  late  war.  John  was  a  member 
of  Company  K,  Twentieth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  re-enlisted 
on  his  discharge  for  disability,  in  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
eighth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  all  through  until  the  end 
— having  been  color  bearer  at  the  battle  of  Franklin.  William  Skeving- 
ton was  a  member  of  Company  D,  Twelfth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  was  with  his  regiment  in  all  its  marches  and  engagements  until  the 
battle  of  Mission  Ridge,  where  he  fell.  Joseph  Skevington  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

SAMUEL  D.  SLUYTER,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Liberty  Township, 
White  County,  July  18,  1857,  and  is  the  youngest  of  the  three  children 
born  to  Hiram  and  Elizabeth  J.  (Debra)  Sluyter,  the  former  a  native  of 
Ulster  County, N.  Y.,  and  the  latter  of  Darke  County,  Ohio,  and  respect- 


296  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

ively  of  German  and  Scotch  descent.  Hiram  Sluyter  was  but  seven 
years  old  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Liberty  Township,  then  an 
almost  unbroken  wilderness  and  filled  with  Indians.  He  helped  clear  up 
a  farm  and  remained  on  the  place  until  twenty-one,  when  his  father  gave 
him  sixty  acres  of  wild  land  in  the  same  township,  which  he  converted 
into  a  farm  and  added  to  from  time  to  time  until  he  has  now  a  homestead 
of  120  acres.  He  has  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  the  past  twelve 
years,  and  he  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church.  Samuel 
D.  Slyter  worked  with  his  father  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  and 
then  farmed  on  shares  for  two  years.  In  January,  1880,  he  commenced 
the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  R.  B.  Palmer,  of  Idaville,  remaining  one 
year.  He  then  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Eclectic  Medical  Col- 
lege at  Cincinnati,  after  which  he  studied  at  home  until  September,  1882, 
when  he  came  to  Reynolds,  where  he  has  since  practiced  his  profession 
with  flattering  success.  April  7,  1878,  he  married  Sarah  E.  Ross,  a 
native  of  Montgomery  County,  Ind.,  who  bore  him  one  daughter — 
Maggie  R. — and  died  September  1,  1880,  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church.  August  24,  1882,  the  Doctor  married  Geneva  A.  Woolley,  a 
native  of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Green- 
back party,  and  in  1882  was  its  candidnte  for  County  Clerk.  Both  the 
Doctor  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church. 

MAHLON  F.  SMITH  was  born  in  this  county  August  22,  1843, 
and  is  the  only  child  of  Peter  B.  and  Mary  (Eraser)  Smith,  natives  re- 
spectively of  Norway  and  Ohio.  Peter  B.  Smith  was  a  ship-owner  and 
sea-captain,  and  after  visiting  nearly  every  port  in  the  world,  arrived  at 
New  Orleans  in  1831,  where  he  and  partner  sold  their  ship  and  cargo 
and  came  to  this  county  in  the  winter  of  1831-32,  and  entered  a  large 
tract  of  land  in  what  is  now  Union  Township.  Here  they  laid  out  the 
town  of  Norway,  built  the  first  dam  across  the  Tippecanoe  River,  erected 
the  first  saw  mill  in  the  county,  and  also  put  up  a  small  store  building, 
now  occupied  by  B.  0.  Spencer,  in  Monticello,  which  was  probably  the 
second  built  in  the  town.  Mr.  Smith  died  January  2,  1850,  a  life-long 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  Mahlon  F.  Smith  lost  his  mother 
when  he  was  but  ten  days  old,  and  was  reared  by  his  grandmother  until 
seventeen  years  of  age.  July  14,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  K, 
Twentieth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  until  mustered  out, 
August,  1864.  He  was  presented  by  Gen.  Birney  with  the  "  Kearney 
Medal  of  Honor,"  for  meritorious  services  and  conspicuous  bravery  at  the 
battle  of  Chancellorsville,  and,  although  he  took  part  in  many  battles, 
escaped  without  a  wound.  After  his  return,  he  engaged  in  farming  and 
stock-raising  in  this  county,  and  in  March,  1869,  took  possession  of  his 
present  farm   of  240  acres,  where  he   continues  in    the  same  business. 


HONEY    CREKK   TOWNSHIP.  297 

April  14,  1868,  he  married  Mary  A.  Kenton,  daughter  of  William  M. 
and  Mary  A.  (McColloch)  Kenton,  and  grand-daughter  of  Simon  Ken- 
ton, the  famous  hunter,  and  companion  of  Daniel  Boone.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smith  have  left  to  them  one  child,  Birney  K.  In  1880,  Mr.  Smith  in- 
vented a  device  for  preserving  seed  corn,  and  the  next  year  a  friend,  Rev. 
Smith,  of  Monticello,  invented  a  machine  capable  of  turning  out  24,000 
of  these  corn  preservers  per  day.  "  Mr.  Smith  is  a  prominent  Mason,  and 
in  politics  is  a  Republican. 

WILLIAM  H.  H.  SMITH  w  .s  born  in  La  Fayette,  this  State, 
May  19,  1836,  and  is  the  second  of  the  eleven  children  born  to  Stephen 
J.  and  Catherine  (Snyder)  Smith,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Indiana. 
Stephen  J.  Smith  came  to  La  Fayette  in  1828,  where  he  followed  his 
trade  of  chair-maker.  In  1851,  he  came  to  Liberty  Township,  this 
county,  bought  and  worked  a  farm  until  1862,  then  moved  to  Battle 
Ground  and  thence  returned  to  La  Fayette,  where  he  is  living  retired,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  William  EI.  H.  Smith  was  employed  on 
his  father's  farm  until  nineteen ;  he  then  clerked  in  a  grocery  at  La 
Fayette;  then  worked  a  year  at  the  printing  business  in  Indianapolis ;  then 
engaged  in  news  dealing  on  the  railroad  a  short  time;  then  learned  the 
photographers'  art  at  Indianapolis ;  worked  at  the  picture  business  in 
Franklin  awhile;  opened  a  studio  at  Greenwarjd;  opened  an  art  gallery  in 
Reynolds  in  1858 ;  engaged  in  a  jewelry  store  in  La  Fayette  eighteen 
months ;  was  employed  in  the  picture  business  again  in  Indianapolis ;  re- 
turned to  La  Fayette  in  1865  and  opened  a  studio ;  moved  to  Monticello 
in  July,  1869,  and  opened  a  gallery ;  came  again  to  Reynolds,  and  for  a 
short  time  engaged  in  picture  making,  and  in  1879  here  opened  his  hotel, 
and  has  been  doing  a  good  business  ever  since.  In  May,  1858,  Mr. 
Smith  married  Sarah  E.  Bear,  a  native  of  Jennings  County,  Ind.,  who 
died  in  March,  1875,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  In 
February,  1876,  he  married  Annie  Turner,  who  has  borne  him  one 
daughter,  Lizzie  K.     In  politics,  Mr.  Smith  is  a  Greenbacker. 

SOLOMON  SPENCER  was  born  in  Union  Township,  this  county, 
January  6,  1839,  and  is  the  third  of  the  eight  children  born  to  Thomas 
and  Elizabeth  A.  (Barnet)  Spencer,  natives  respectively  of  Pennsylvania 
and  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  of  Scotch  and  English  descent.  When 
a  small  boy,  Thomas  Spenser  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Perry  Countv 
Ohio,  where  he  was  taught  the  tanner's  trade;  he  was  there  married,  and 
soon  after  abandoned  his  trade  and  became  a  farmer.  In  1830,  he  came 
to  this  county  with  his  brother,  George  A.  Spencer;  returned  to  Ohio,  and 
in  1860  came  back  to  this  county  and  bought  160  acres  of  his  brother, 
Benjamin  M.,  in  Union  Township,  also  entering  320  acres  in  Union  and 
920  acres  in  Honey  Creek  Township.     On  the  Union  Township  land  he 


298  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

erected  a  cabin,  in  which  Solomon  Spencer  was  born,  and  on  this  place 
Thomas  Spencer  died  in  October,  1877,  having  been  preceded  by  his  wife 
October  10,  1870 ;  both  had  been  life-long  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  in  which  Mr.  Spencer  had  held  various  official  posi- 
tions. Solomon  Spencer  received  the  ordinary  education  obtainable  at  a 
frontier  schoolhouse,  which  he  afterward  improved  by,  extensive  reading 
and  study.  He  remained  on  the  home  farm  until  thirty  years  of  age,  and 
then  bought  a  farm  of  480  acres  in  this  township,  where  he  has  ever  since 
been  extensively  and  successfully  engaged  in  the  stock  business.  Feb- 
ruary 11,  1869,  he  married  Olivia  Thomas,  a  native  of  Ohio,  but  there 
have  been  born  no  children  to  this  union.  Mr.  Spencer  is  a  member  of 
Monticello  Lodge,  No.  144,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  liberal  in  his  political 
views.  His  parents  were  among  the  pioneers  of  the  county,  and  among 
the  heirlooms  in  his  possession  is  a  looking-glass  more  than  a  hundred 
years  old,  which  belonged  to  his  maternal  grandmother  ;  he  has  also  a  camp 
kettle  which  was  used  by  his  maternal  grandfather  in  the  war  of  1812. 

JAMES  SPRAGUE  was  born  in  Burlington  County,  N.  J.,  Septem- 
ber 21,  1837,  and  is  the  second  of  the  four  children  born  to  Richard  and 
Rebecca  A.  (Pettit)  Sprague,  both  natives  of  New  Jersey.  At  the  age  of 
eight  years,  James  Sprague  lost  his  mother,  and  thereafter,  until  twenty- 
one,  he  made  his  home  with  Jacob  Sutts.  He  then  worked  out  at  farm- 
ing until  the  spring  of  I860,  when  he  came  to  Monticello,  this  county ; 
remained  a  short  time,  and  then  went  to  Warren  County,  where  he  farmed 
until  August,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Tenth  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  till  mustered  out  at  Indianapolis,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1864,  having  taken  part  in  the  battles  of  Mill  Springs,  Chicka- 
mauga,  Mission  Ridge,  and  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  numerous  skir- 
mishes and  minor  engagements.  He  next  farmed  as  a  hired  hand  for 
three  years,  near  Monticello,  and  then  on  shares  in  Big  Creek  Township 
about  eight  years.  In  the  spring  of  1875,  he  bought  eighty  acres  of  wild 
land  in  this  township,  which  he  has  since  improved,  and  on  which  he  still 
resides.  October  30,  1866,  he  married  Mary  A.  Moore,  a  native  of 
Union  Township,  and  a  daughter  of  James  P.  and  Sarah  (Worthington) 
Moore,  who  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  this  county.  To  this  union 
six  children  have  been  born,  four  yet  living — Elsie  L.,  Chester  S.,  Lor- 
etta  C.  and  James  A.  In  politics,  Mr.  Sprague  is  a  Republican,  and  for 
four  years  was  Assessor  of  Big  Creek  Township,  and  he  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

SAMUEL  VIRDEN  was  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  January 
23,  1815,  and  is  the  second  of  the  nine  children  born  to  William  and 
Lydia  (Hopkins)  Virden,  both  natives  of  Delawa^-e.  vVilliam  Virden 
went  to  Pickaway  County  when  he  was  a  young  man ;   he  was  a  carpen- 


IIONKY   CllEKK   TOWNSHIP.  299 

ter,  Avhich  trade  he  followed  in  connection  with  farming  until  his  death, 
May  2,  1830,  and  had  been  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  His  widow 
died  in  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind,,  September  23,  1845,  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Samuel  Virden,  now  a  man  of  very 
extensive  reading,  was  educated  at  the  log  schoolhouse  of  the  frontier.  At 
the  age  of  fifteen,  he  lost  his  father,  and  thereafter  he  was  the  main  sup- 
port of  his  widowed  mother  and  his  seven  younger  brothers  and  sisters. 
In  November,  1833,  the  family  came  to  Big  Creek  Township,  this  county, 
where  the  brothers  took  a  lease  on  a  half  section  of  land  owned  by  Piiilip 
Wolverton,  and  for  three  years  improved  about  100  acres.  They  then 
moved  to  Prairie  Township,  and  in  1838  to  Tippecanoe  County,  where 
they  bought  a  farm  of  720  acres  on  the  Wea  Plains,  having 
received  the  proceeds  of  a  bequest  left  them  a  few  years  bo-. 
fore  by  a  relative  in  the  East.  They  engaged  in  the  live  stock 
business,  finding  markets  at  Michigan  City,  Chicago  and  Detroit,  to 
which  points  the  cattle  were  driven  on  foot.  The  business  prospered, 
and  in  1853  Mr.  Virden,  one  brother  and  a  sister  bought  out  the  inter- 
ests of  the  others,  and  the  same  year  the  farm  was  divided  among  the 
three.  Samuel  Virden  remained  on  his  portion  until  the  spring  of  1857, 
when  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Lodi,  111.,  where,  in  company  with  Nathan 
Plowman,  he  erected  a  steam  grist  mill  at  a  cost  of  $25,000.  On  the 
night  of  December  24,  1861,  the  mill  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  was  un- 
insured. This  loss  left  Mr.  Virden  quite  impoverished,  and  in  1863  he 
returned  to  Tippecanoe  County,  and  for  ten  years  farmed  on  shares  and 
engaged  in  rearing  stock,  in  which  he  was  very  successful.  In  1872,  he 
bought  560  acres  in  this  township,  on  which  he  moved  the  following  year, 
and  here  he  still  resides,  having  been  ever  since  successfully  engaged  in 
stock-raising.  January  25,  1853,  he  married  Mary  F,,  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Esther  (Fallis)  Welch,  and  a  native  of  Clinton  County,  Ohio. 
Turner  Welch  was  a  physician,  and  for  a  time  was  Surgeon  in  the  army 
during  the  war  of  1812.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Virden  has  been  left  one 
son — Samuel  T.,  now  attending  Purdue  University.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Virden  was  formerly  a  Whig,  later  became  a  Republican,  and  is  at  pres- 
ent Road  Superintendent  of  the  township. 

ANDERSON  T.  VIRDEN  was  born  in  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind., 
December  5.  1846,  and  is  the  eldest  of  the  five  children  born  to  Stratton 
and  Louisa  (Thompson)  Virden.  He  was  educated  at  the  common  schools 
and  at  the  Farmer's  Institute  of  Tippecanoe  County,  and  until  twenty- 
eight  years  old  was  employed  on  the  home  farm.  In  the  spring  of  1873, 
his  father  gave  him  an  interest  in  forty  acres  of  land  in  Big  Creek  Town- 
ship, this  county,  which  interest  he  sold  in  1875,  and  came  to  this  town- 
ship, where  he  bought  120  acres  of  unimproved   land,  on  which  he  still 


300  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

resides,  and  which  he  has  ever  since  cultivated.  September  23,  1874, 
he  married  Mary  E.  Anderson,  a  native  of  Clark  County,  Ohio,  who 
has  borne  him  three  children — Oliver  M.,  Fletcher  S.  and  Anna  Lee. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Virden  is  a  Republican,  and  both  himself  and  wife  are 
consistent  members  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 

PHILIP  F.  WARD  was  born  in  Kent  County,  Del.,  September  27, 
1815,  and  is  the  third  of  the  nine  children  born  to  William  and  Nancy 
(Price)  Ward,  both  natives  of  Delaware,  and  of  English  and  German 
descent  respectively.  The  parents  of  this  couple,  John  Ward  and  John 
Price,  served  in  the  Continental  army  all  through  the  Revolutionary 
struggle — John  Ward,  who  was  in  the  British  Army,  deserting  to  join 
the  Americans.  William  Ward  was  in  the  war  of  1812  ;  he  was  a  farm- 
er, was  married  in  Delaware,  and  in  the  fall  of  1830  brought  his  family 
to  Tippecanoe  County,  this  State  ;  remained  three  years ;  moved  to  Clin- 
ton County,  entered  240  acres,  developed  a  farm,  and  there  died  in  1854, 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  Philip  F.  Ward,  at  the  age  of 
seventeen,  was  apprenticed  to  carpentering,  which  he  followed  several 
years.  In  1840,  he  entered  forty  acres  in  Clinton  County,  Ind.,  to  which 
he  afterward  added  eighty  acres,  and  developed  a  farm.  In  1848,  he  sold 
the  place,  and  bought  160  acres  in  Tippecanoe  County.  Resided  there 
till  1858  ;  then  sold  out,  came  to  this  township,  and  bought  a  farm  of  320 
acres,  which  he  still  owns.  In  1875,  he  retired  to  Reynolds,  where  he 
owns  a  handsome  property.  In  1845,  he  married  Eliza  Goldesbery,  who 
bore  him  five  children,  and  died  in  1857,  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 
In  June,  1858,  he  married  Susan  De  Ford,  who  has  borne  him  eleven 
children.  Of  his  children,  there  are  twelve  yet  living — four  by  his  first 
and  eight  by  his  second  marriage.  Mr.  W.  is  a  Democrat,  and  he  and 
wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church. 

JAMES  H.  WILLIAMS  was  born  in  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1828,  and  is  the  youngest  of  the  seven  children  born  to  Elijah 
and  Elizabeth  (Hanna)  Williams,  natives  respectively  of  Maine  and 
Pennsylvania.  Elijah  Williams  moved  to  Guernsey  County  in  1811, 
served  as  a  Sergeant  through  the  war  of  1812,  under  Gen.  Harrison,  was 
married  in  his  adopted  county,  and  there  died  May  27,  1828,  in  his  forty- 
second  year,  and  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  About  two 
years  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Williams,  his  widow  moved  to  Licking 
County,  Ohio,  bought  100  acres  of  land,  resided  thereon  until  1866,  and 
then  made  her  home  with  her  son,  James  H.,  until  her  death,  April  6, 
1874,  in  her  eighty-seventh  year,  and  for  more  than  seventy  years  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  At  the  age  of  sixteen, 
James  H.  Williams  was  apprenticed  for  five  years  to  a  carpenter.  He 
then  worked  as  a  journeyman   in  Columbus  until   1851,  and  then  in  a 


HONEY  CREEK   TOWNSHIP.  301 

saw  mill  until  1853.  He  then  assisted  in  the  survey  of  the  route  of  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railway  through  Southern  Ohio,  and  later  took  a  con- 
tract, with  his  brother,  for  building  two  miles  of  said  road.  In  1854, 
they  bought  100  acres  of  land  in  Licking  County,  on  a  part  of  which 
the  present  town  of  Summit  is  situated,  and  there  lived  until  April,  1861, 
our  subject  being  employed  as  conductor  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  road 
from  1856  to  1859.  In  April,  1861,  Mr.  Williams  came  to  Union  Town- 
ship, this  county,  and  farmed  until  the  spring  of  1864,  when  he  came  to 
this  township  and  purchased  200  acres  of  land,  which  he  afterward  traded 
for  Western  land,  and  bought  his  present  farm.  In  1849,  he  married 
Nancy  McCray,  a  native  of  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  who  has  borne  him 
eight  children,  six  yet  living.  Mr.  Williams  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  held 
the  office  of  Township  Assessor ;  he  is  a  Mason  and  an  Odd  Fellow,  and 
both  himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

THORNTON  WILLIAMS  was  born  in  Pittsburgh,  Penn.,  in  1826, 
and  is  the  elder  of  the  two  children  living  born  to  Thornton  and  Harriet 
Williams.  Thornton  Williams,  Sr.,  was  an  officer  in  the  war  of  1812, 
and  at  one  time  was  an  extensive  land-holder  in  Pennsylvania,  but  lost 
the  greater  portion  of  his  property  by  going  surety  for  his  friends.  At 
the  age  of  five  years,  Thornton  Williams,  our  subject,  lost  his  father,  and 
at  the  age  of  seven  was  compelled  to  seek  his  own  living.  Until  sixteen, 
he  worked  at  whatever  he  could  do — chiefly  teaming.  He  then  learned 
carpentering,  and  for  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  followed  the  trade  in  Penn- 
sylvania, Ohio  and  this  State.  In  1848,  he  moved  from  La  Fayette  to 
this  county  and  farmed  on  shares  in  Big  Creek  Township  for  several 
years.  Near  the  close  of  the  war,  he  bought  a  farm  in  this  township,  but 
five  years  later  lost  it  through  the  ravages  of  the  cattle  plague  ;  he  then 
moved  to  Reynolds,  and  soon  afterward  engaged  in  hunting  and  trapping 
in  connection  with  farming  and  grain  shipping.  In  December,  1881,  he 
moved  upon  his  present  farm  in  Section  34,  which  had  been  left  to  his 
wife  by  her  father.  He  was  married,  January  13,  1849,  to  Mary  E., 
Rinker,  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  daughter  of  Joshua  and  Louisa  (Reece) 
Rinker.  To  this  marriage  were  born  ten  children,  seven  of  whom  are 
still  living.  Mrs.  Williams  died  August  20,  1872,  a  devoted  and  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  church  Mr. 
Williams  is  also  a  member,  and  has  been  for  over  thirty  years. 

JOSEPH  R.  WILSON  was  born  in  Westmoreland  County,  Penn., 
October  28,  1832,  and  is  the  eighth  of  the  eleven  children  born  to  Hugh 
and  Nancy  (Story)  Wilson,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  Scotch- 
Irish  and  English  descent.  Hugh  Wilson  was  a  farmer,  and  in  April, 
1869,  on  the  same  farm  on  which  he  was  born,  he  died,  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian   Church.     Joseph  R.  Wilson  worked  on  the  home  farm  till 


302  .   BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 

he  was  thirty-five  years  old,  when  he  moved  to  Harrison  County,  Iowa, 
bought  a  farm  of  1,250  acres,  and  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising 
until  1875,  when  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Reynolds,  where  he  has  ever 
since  been  extensively  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade  and  the  sale  of  agri- 
cultural implements.  November  22,  1872,  he  married  Clara  Frame,  a 
native  of  Trumbull  County,  Ohio.  In  politics,  Mr.  Wilson  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 

AARON  WOOD  was  born  in  Guilford  County,  N.  C,  July  21,  1815, 
and  is  the  eldest  of  the  ten  children  born  to  Drury  and  Rodah  (Shaw) 
Wood,  both  natives  of  Maryland.  Drury  Wood  was  a  soldier  in  the  war 
of  1812  ;  he  was  a  farmer  and  was  married  in  Guilford  County,  where 
he  resided  until  1831,  when  he  moved  to  Washington  County,  this  State, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1832  to  Tippecanoe  County,  where  he  bought  160 
acres  of  wild  land,  which  he  improved,  but  sold  in  1848,  when  he  came 
to  Princeton  Township  and  bought  a  farm  on  which  he  ended  his  earthly 
career  November  10,  1856,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Aaron  Wood,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  began  working  out  by  the  month  ;'in 
1840,  he  went  to  Benton  County  and  farmed  on  shares  until  the  spring 
of  1846,  when  he  came  to  Princeton  Township  and  opened  a  general 
store;  in  1847,  he  moved  to  Oxford,  Benton  County,  and  kept  store  un- 
til 1852,  then  kept  store  in  Pine  Village,  Warren  County,  one  year,  re- 
turned to  PrincetOii  Township  and  engaged  in  farming  and  store-keeping 
until  December,  1854,  when  he  sold  his  farm  and  moved  his  store  to  Rey- 
nolds. In  the  fall  of  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Forty-sixth 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  until  the  close  of  his  term  of 
service,  December,  1864.  He  took  part  in  the  battles  of  New  Madrid, 
Riddle's  Point,  Fort  Pillow,  Memphis,  St.  ChSrles,  Port  Gibson,  Cham- 
pion Hill  and  Vicksburg.  On  his  return  to  Reynolds,  he  re-embarked  in 
mercantile  trade,  and  is  now  dealing  in  groceries  and  hardware.  He  is 
a  Democrat,  and  since  1865  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  which  office 
he  also  held  four  years  before  the  war ;  he  also  was  Postmaster  four 
years  before  and  one  year  after  the  war.  His  first  wife  (Margaret  Sherry) 
bore  him  three  children  and  died  in  the  spring  of  1852 ;  in  January, 
1853,  he  married  Mahala  Hooker,  who  also  bore  him  three  children 
and  died  in  1858  ;  in  April,  1865,  he  married  Nancy  Paterson,  who  has 
borne  him  five  children. 

JAMES  P.  WRIGHT  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Ind.,  De- 
cember 4,  1880,  and  is  the  son  of  West  Lee  and  Nancy  (Wright)  Wright. 
The  former  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ky.,  in  1803,  and  the  latter  in 
Oldham  County,  same  State,  in  1808.  Mrs.  Nancy  Wright's  father, 
James  Wright,  came  to  Monroe  County,  Ind.,  about  1810,  and  there 
died  in  his  one  hundred  and  second  year ;  her  grandfather,  Jacob  Sears, 


HONEY   CREEK   TOWNSHIP.  303 

died  in  Oldham  County,  Ky.,  in  his  one  hundred  and  fifteenth  year. 
William  Wright,  grandfather  of  James  P.,  was  a  native  of  Guilford 
County,  N.  C,  of  English  parentage;  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  the 
Revolution,  and  was  noted  in  his  day  as  a  writer  of  hymns,  I.  0.  0.  F. 
odes  and  of  temperance  songs.  In  the  spring  of  1832,  West  Lee  Wright 
moved  with  his  family  to  Jackson  County,  Ind..  and  entered  land  one 
mile  south  of  the  present  site  of  Medora,  and  developed  a  farm  on  which 
he  resided  until  his  death,  in  1876.  At  a  log  school  house  in  this  wilder- 
ness, James  P.  Wright  received  the  rudiments  of  his  education,  and  un- 
derwent all  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life,  giving  his  cheerful  services  to 
his  parents  until  1852,  when  he  married  Miss  Martha  Louden,  a  daughter 
of  Samuel  C.  Louden,  of  Lawrence  County,  Ind.  Two  children  are  the 
fruit  of  this  union — Theodore  J.,  and  Lorenna,  now  the  wife  of  J.  J. 
Toles,  architect.  In  1857,  Mr.  Wright  began  the  study  of  law  at  Me- 
dora; in  July,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Twenty -fifth  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  regiment  John  W.  Foster,  late  Minister 
to  Mexico,  was  a  Major.  Mr.  Wright  served  until  August,  1864,  and 
when  with  Fremont,  on  the  memorable  march  from  Otterville  to  Spring- 
field, was  taken  ill  with  fever,  and  wis  left  at  the  house  of  a  planter, 
whose  family  and  a  Confederate  surgeon  carried  him  through  his  sickness 
in  safety.  He  then  was  in  hospital  at  St.  Louis  until  the  spring  of  1862, 
when  he  rejoined  his  regiment  just  after  the  battle  of  Shiloh  ;  he  took 
part  in  the  siege  of  Corinth,  the  battles  of  luka,  Corinth,  Hatchee  River 
and  Decatur,  and  just  after  the  last  named  was  again  taken  sick,  from 
the  eifects  of  which  he  has  never  entirely  recovered.  Soon  after  the 
battle  of  Corinth,  he  was  promoted  for  meritorious  conduct  in  the  field, 
preferring  a  Sergeant's  chevron  in  his  own  company  to  a  commission  in 
some  other  regiment.  In  1866,  he  opened  a  law  office  in  Medora,  and 
practiced  until  1872,  and  then  moved  to  Indianapolis  and  opened  an 
office;  in  the  spring  of  1873,  he  was  burned  out  and  lost  his  valuable 
library,  which  was  uninsured  ;  he  soon  opened  another  office,  however, 
and  had  a  fair  practice  until  the  spring  of  1876,  when  he  came  to  Rey- 
nolds and  entered  upon  his  profession,  and  has  already  secured  a  lucrative 
business.  Criminal  and  litigated  cases  are  with  him  specialties,  and  he 
has  a  fine  reputation  as  an  advocate  and  also  as  a  lecturer.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  stanch  and  active  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  Washington 
Lodge,  No.  13,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and,  although  a  member  of  no  church,  is 
a  zealous  advocate  of  the  cause  of  temperance  and  an  earnest  pleader  for 
woman  suffrage.  He  has  also  inherited  somewhat  of  the  poetical  genius 
of  his  ancestoi',  and,  during  the  war,  composed  many  patriotic  songs  and 
other  poems. 


304  BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES: 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP. 

A.  B.  BALLOU,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Orleans  County,  N.  Y.,  July 
29,  1831,  and  is  the  youngest  of  the  six  children,  three  yet  living,  born 
to  Aaron  and  Anna  (Davis)  Ballou,  natives  of  Rhode  Island  and  Massa- 
chussetts,  and  of  French  extraction.  The  family  moved  to  Ann  Arbor, 
Mich.,  about  the  year  1838,  and  three  years  later  moved  to  St.  Joseph 
County,  Mich.,  where  they  resided  thirteen  years  on  a  farm,  and  then 
removed  to  near  Mendon,  where  the  mother  died  April  12,  1855,  and 
the  father  May  12,  1855.  A.  B.  Ballou  was  reared  a  farmer  until  nine- 
teen, when  he  entered  the  college  at  Ann  Arbor.  After  graduating,  he 
followed  teaching  for  a  time,  and  then  devoted  himself  to  the  study  of 
medicine ;  he  located  in  Wolcott,  and  began  practice  in  June,  ]  864 ;  in 
1869,  he  moved  to  Burnettsville.  where  he  has  since  held  a  leading  posi- 
tion. During  these  years  of  practice,  he  also  attended  lectures  at  the 
Charity  Hospital,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  the  winter  of  1866-67,  and  at  the 
Indiana  Medical  College  at  Indianapolis  in  1878-74,  and  at  the  latter 
received  his  degree  of  M.  D.  He  was  married,  December  23,  1862,  to 
Julia  R.  Long,  born  February  1,  1836,  in  Saxony,  Germany,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Augustus  and  Julia  Long,  and  a  resident  of  this  country  since  her 
infancy.  Dr.  Ballou  has  been  President  of  the  District  Medical  Society 
of  White,  Jasper,  Benton  and  Newton  Counties,  and  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity. 

JOHN  T.  BARNES,  of  the  firm  of  Hall,  Barnes  &  Co.,  merchants, 
was  born  in  Clarke  County,  Ohio,  November  29,  1828,  and  is  the  eldest 
of  the  five  children  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Gedd)  Barnes,  natives  of 
Ohio,  and  of  Scotch-Irish  extraction.  The  family  moved  to  Carroll 
County,  Ind.,  in  the  fall  of  1834,  and  there  Mr.  Barnes  was  reared  to 
farming  until  fifteen  years  old,  when  he  was  left  an  orphan.  In  1850,  he 
married  Miss  Sarah  J.,  daughter  of  Michael  and  Elizabeth  (Foust) 
Shaver,  of  East  Tennessee,  and  born  in  1831.  To  this  union  there  were 
ten  children  born,  and  of  these  there  are  five  living — Henry  M.,  George 
T.,  Matthew  H.,  Ada  M.  and  Charles  L.  Soon  after  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Barnes  took  up  his  residence  on  a  forty-acre  farm  he  had  purchased  in 
this  township  in  1849,  but  two  years  later  exchanged  for  a  120-acre  farm, 
going  in  debt  |2,100,  which  was  all  paid  oflF  in  1860.  He  then  engaged 
in  merchandising  at  Idaville  until  1864,  when  he  moved  upon  a  farm  two 
miles  north  of  town,  which  he  had  obtained  in  exchange  for  his  160-acre 
farm.  The  following  year,  he  traded  this  farm  for  a  stock  of  goods,  and 
engaged  again  as  a  merchant  in  Idaville  until  1868,  when  he  exchanged 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  305 

his  goods  for  a  300-acre  farm.  In  Auo;ust,  1862.  he  engaged  in  his  pres- 
ent business.  He  was  elected  County  Commissioner  in  the  fall  of  1878  ; 
is  a  Republican  and  an  Odd  Fellow,  and  he  erected  the  first  dwelling  in 
Idaville. 

THOMAS  BARNES  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  August  22, 
1799,  and  is  one  of  the  nine  children  born  to  Thomas  and  Jane  (McClain) 
Barnes,  natives  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania.  He  was  reared  a  farmer, 
in  Greene  County,  Ohio,  and  in  February,  1820,  married  Miss  Phebe 
Gadd,  of  Virginia,  who  bore  him  nine  children — two  now  living — Eliza- 
beth and  Eleanor.  Mr.  Barnes  came  to  this  township  in  1843,  from  Car- 
roll County,  Ind.,  where  he  had  been  living  since  1834.  He  bought  143 
acres  of  wild  land,  which  he  has  converted  into  one  of  the  best  farms  in 
the  township.  In  1845,  Mrs.  Barnes  died,  at  the  age  of  forty- two.  Sep- 
tember 3,  1846,  Mr.  Barnes  married  Mary  Hammil,  a  native  of  Tennes- 
see, who  bore  him  six  children,  three  of  whom  are  yet  living — John  A., 
Mary  A.  and  Margaret  A.  The  second  Mrs.  Barnes  died  in  January, 
1855,  and  the  following  October,  Mr.  Barnes  married  Mrs.  Prudence 
(Eldridge)  Beard,  of  Shelby  County,  Ohio,  who  became  the  mother  of 
five  children,  four  still  living — Nancy  A.,  Levi  E.,  Rachel  Bell  and 
Effie.  Mrs.  Prudence  Barnes  is  the  daughter  of  Elijah  and  Elizabeth 
(Gibson)  Eldridge,  and  has  a  daughter — Sarah  E. — by  her  first  husband. 
Mr.  Barnes  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Carroll  County,  and  has 
been  Township  Trustee  in  Jackson  Township  nine  years.  His  son,  J. 
Albert,  in  the  fall  of  1864,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  enlisted  in  Company 
11,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-second  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnes  are  members  of 
the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  he  has  been  an  Elder  forty 
years. 

THOMAS  W.  BARNES  was  born  in  Greene  County,  Ohio,  June 
27,  1814,  and  is  the  son  of  Alexander  and  Sarah  (Kirkpatrick)  Barnes, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  John  Barnes,  father  of  Alexander,  came  from 
Ireland  to  this  country  previous  to  the  Revolutionary  war,  in  which  he 
took  part  for  eight  years,  serving  as  Captain.  Alexander  Barnes  was  a 
soldier  in  the  war  of  1812  ;  he  died  in  Parke  County,  Ind.,  February  16, 
1830,  leaving  his  wife  with  eight  children.  When  our  subject  was  but 
six  months  old,  the  family  moved  to  Vincennes,  Ind.,  thence  to  Fort  Har- 
rison, and  thence  to  Parke  County.  In  the  spring  of  1831,  the  widow 
moved,  with  her  children,  to  Carroll  County,  and  entered  land  near  the 
north  line,  and  there  died  in  October,  1838.  In  1840,  Thomas  W.  mar- 
ried Miss  Cynthia  Ginn,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Anna  Ginn,  and  born 
August  26,  1821.  In  1868,  Mrs.  Barnes  died,  leaving  seven  children  — 
LovJna  J.,  Robert  A.,  Sarah  A.,  William  A.,  Thomas  E.  (now  deceased), 


306  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

Nancy  Amanda  and  Mary  M.  In  1884,  Mr.  Barnes  entered  eighty  acres 
of  land  near  the  home  farm,  which  he  subsequently  sold  ;  then  made  several 
trades,  and  finally  settled  on  155  acres,  remaining  until  1848,  when  he  sold 
out  and  purchased  140  acres  of  his  present  farm  in  this  township,  which 
he  has  increased  to  166  acres,  and  put  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation- 
The  Barnes  family  was  the  sixth  to  settle  here,  and  underwent  all  the  hard- 
ships of  pioneer  life,  there  being  neither  a  road  nor  a  bridge  west  of  the 
Wabash  at  that  time.  Mr.  Barnes  assisted  in  building  the  first  church 
and  schoolhouse,  and  in  laying  out  the  first  road  in  this  section,  and  has 
always,  been  foremost  in  works  for  the  public  good.  He  is  a  leading 
member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  and  is  a  Republican. 

PETER  BISHOP  was  born  in  Nicholas  County,  Ky.,  July  18, 
1815,  and  is  one  of  the  fifteen  children  born  to  Henry  and  Margaret 
Bishop,  natives  of  Virginia.  He  was  reared  a  farmer,  and  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  went  to  Greene  County,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  two  years, 
when,  in  company  with  Mr.  John  Hannah,  he  came  to  this  township, 
November  8,  1831.  Here  he  bought  a  forty-acre  farm,  which  he  has 
since  considerably  enlarged.  He  was  married  in  June,  1835,  to  Miss 
Margaret  Hannah,  who  died  August  3,  1845,  leaving  five  children — 
Sarah,  Henry,  John,  Mary  and  Margaret.  Mr.  Bishop  was  again  mar- 
ried, in  April,  1846,  the  bride  being  Jane  Delzell.  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
died  September  29,  1858,  the  mother  of  the  following  children — Man  da 
M.,  Miranda  J.  and  Nancy  E.  In  1859,  Mr.  Bishop  married  Mrs.  Jane 
(Whitman)  Bobbins,  his  present  wife.  In  1872,  he  removed  from  his 
farm  to  Idaville,  and  lived  there  three  years,  and  then  moved  to  his  pres- 
ent home.  He  was  present  at  the  first  election  held  in  the  township,  and 
was  one  of  the  county's  first  jurors.  He  is  a  Democrat,  and  cast  his  first 
vote  for  Gen.  Jackson.  He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Dunkard 
Church. 

J.  M.  CARSON,  Assistant  Postmaster  at  Idaville,  was  born  in  Mon- 
roe County,  Tenn.,  in  1823,  and  is  the  son  of  William  and  Rosanna 
(McCully)  Carson,  natives  of  Tennessee  and  of  Scotch  and  Irish  extrac- 
tion. William  Carson  came  to  Carroll  County,  this  State,  in  the  fall  of 
1833,  there  reared  a  family  of  eight  children,,  and  died  in  1852,  followed 
by  his  wife  in  1872.  J.  M.  Carson  was  reared  a  farmer,  and  at  the  age 
of  twenty-three  married  Miss  Elizabeth,  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Barnes, 
born  in  1826.  The  children  born  of  this  marriage  were  Ada,  Thomas 
W.,  James  A.,  F.  C,  Eliza  E.,  Perry  E.,  Clara  F.  and  John  A.  Soon 
after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Carson  came  to  Union  Township,  this  county, 
and  farmed  until  ill-health  compelled  him  to  seek  other  employment.  He 
engaged  in  merchandising  at  Monticello  awhile,  and  made  several  changes 
up  to  1861,  when  he  settled  in  Idaville,  where  he  has  since  resided,  with 


JACKSON   TOWNSHIP.  B07 

the  exception  of  two  years,  when  he  was  in  the  dry  goods  trade  at  Monti- 
cello.  In  October,  18G4,  he  enlisted  in  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-second  Indiana  A'olunteer  Infantry,  and  was  honorably  discharged 
in  July,  1865.  Botli  he  and  wife  are  m'embers  of  the  United  Presby- 
terian Church. 

THEODORE  J.  DAVIS  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio, 
January  20,  1829,  and  is  the  third  son  of  Noah  and  Margaret  (Miller) 
Davis,  natives  of  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania.  The  parents  moved  to 
Union  County,  this  State,  about  1830,  and  thence  to  this  county  in  1842, 
locating  on  part  of  the  farm  now  owned  by  Theodore  J.  Here  the  father  and 
mother  died  in  1875  andl873,  aged  respectively  eighty-three  and  seventy- 
three  years.  The  father  had  been  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  of 
his  family  of  nine,  six  sons  were  soldiers  in  the  late  war.  Theodore  J. 
was  reared  to  farming,  receiving  the  education  usual  at  the  log  houses  of 
his  early  days,  the  forty-six  days  of  his  last  term  being  filled  by  his  skat- 
ing, morning  and  evening,  a  distance  of  four  miles.  He  then,  at  the  age 
of  seventeen,  began  life  by  farming,  laboring  on  public  works,  and  boat- 
ing on  the  canal  between  La  Fayette  and  Toledo.  In  1851,  he  married 
Miss  Martha  Jay,  of  this  county,  who  died  in  January,  1852.  July  8, 
1855,  he  married  Miss  Sally,  daughter  of  Jacob  J.  and  Hester  Smith, 
and  born  in  Sussex  County,  Del.,  in  1834.  To  this  union  were  born  six 
children — Ruth,  Margaret,  Jacob,  Hester,  Ike  and  Rachel.  Soon  after 
his  marriage,  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  his  present  farm,  which,  through 
his  industry  and  good  management,  he  has  increased  to  545  acres.  Mr. 
Davis  took  part  in  the  late  war  from  January,  1865,  to  the  close.  He  is 
a  Democrat,  and  has  served  as  County  Commissioner  one  term.  His  wife 
is  a  Second-Day  Adventist. 

W.  S.  DAVIS  was  born  August  19,  1816,  in  Butler  County,  Ohio, 
and  was  the  eldest  of  the  nine  children — five  yet  living — born  to  George 
and  Catharine  (Miller)  Davis,  natives  of  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania. 
George  Davis  died  in  Cass  County,  Ind.,  in  the  fall  of  1844;  his  widow 
married  James  McDowell,  and  died  in  Carroll  County,  Ind.,  in  March, 
1873,  aged  seventy-seven  years.  W.  S.  Davis  was  reared  a  farmer,  but 
served  an  apprenticeship  of  two  years  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  He  was 
married,  in  1840,  to  Miss  Margaret  Thompson,  of  Wayne  County,  Ind., 
but  a  native  of  New  Jersey.  Mrs.  Davis  died  in  the  fall  of  1860,  leav- 
ing three  children — Catharine,  Florence  (deceased)  and  Julia.  In  1840, 
Mr.  Davis  moved  to  this  township,  engaged  in  farming  seven  years  ;  then 
moved  to  Burnettsville,  where,  in  1849,  he  built  the  first  frame  building, 
which  is  still  standing.  He  also  assisted  in  building  the  court  house  at 
Monticello.  In  1850,  he  opened  a  general  store  in  partnership  with 
Aaron  Hicks.       He  was  appointed  Postmaster,  and  filled  the  office  for 


308  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

many  years.  He  bought  out  his  partner's  interest  and  conducted  the 
business  on  his  own  account  until  the  fall  of  1875,  when  he  moved  to 
Idaville,  where  he  is  now  doing  an  extensive  trade.  In  June,  1861,  he 
married  Marilla  (Imes)  Shepherd,  of  Burnettsville,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
daughter  of  William  and  Lydia  Imes.  Mr.  Davis  is  a  Democrat,  and 
has  served  as  Road  Supervisor  and  School  Trustee;  he  is  a  Freemason, 
and  Mrs.  Davis  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

L.  C.  DEVELIN  was  born  in  Cambridge  City,  Ind.,  August  6, 
1835,  and  is  one  of  the  four  children  of  George  and  Anna  (Rains)  Deve- 
lin,  natives  respectively  of  Pennsylvania  and  Indiana.  Mr.  Develin, 
about  his  majority,  began  railroading  as  baggage-master  at  Cambridge; 
he  filled  the  position  three  years  and  then  went  on  as  brakeman,  working 
himself  up,  in  two  years,  to  the  office  of  conductor  on  the  Dayton  &  West- 
ern Railroad.  In  1861,  he  engaged  in  the  fruit  and  grocery  trade  at 
Chicago;  then  traveled  for  a  wholesale  house  for  awhile,  and  in  1863  en- 
gaged on  the  T.,L.  «fc  B.,  R.  R.,  at  Logansport,  as  traveling  agent  and  ex- 
tra conductor.  May  8,  1864,  while  instructing  a  new  yardmaster  in  his 
duties,  he  had  both  ankles  crushed  by  a  tank  wheel,  which  led  to  amputa- 
tion. The  operation  was  not  skillfully  performed,  and  six  weeks  later  a 
second  amputation  became  necessary.  After  recovery  and  after  pro- 
viding himself  with  artificial  limbs,  Mr.  Develin  entered  the  telegraph 
oflSce  at  Cambridge  City  as  a  student,  and  in  December,  1865,  he  was  ap- 
pointed agent  and  operator  at  Burnettsville,  the  office  being  then  first  es- 
tablished, and  he  still  holds  the  position.  He  was  married,  November  9, 
1870,  to  Mary  Mary  Sharpe,  of  Kentland,  Ind.,  and  this  lady  has  borne 
him  three  children — Mertie,  May  and  Leo.  Mr.  Develin  is  correspond- 
ent for  a  number  of  journals,  Florin  being  his  nom  de  plume.  He  is  a 
Democrat,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

WILLIAM  H.  DOWNS  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  June  25, 
1843,  and  is  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Ann  (Hines)  Downs,  both  natives  of 
Ohio.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  Tippecanoe  County,  this  State,  in 
1848,  and  to  Union  Township,  this  county,  in  1852,  where  he  resided 
until  August  2,  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Seventy-third 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry  ;  was  mustered  in  at  South  Bend  and  was  as- 
signed to  the  Fourteenth  Army  Corps,  under  Gen.  Crittenden.  He  fought 
at  Chaplin's  Hill,  Murfreesboro,  Decatur  and  Athens.  At  Mill  Creek, 
he  was  accidentally  injured  by  the  fall  of  a  stockade,  from  the  effect  of 
which  he  was  confined  in  the  hospital  three  weeks.  In  June,  1865,  he 
was  honorably  discharged,  and  came  at  once  to  Carroll  County,  where 
he  lived  on  rented  land  a  number  of  years,  and  then  came  to  this  town- 
ship and  purchased  forty  acres,  a  part  of  his  present  home,  which  he  has 
since  increased  to  ninety-nine  acres,  all  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  In 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  309 

September,  1866,  he  married  Miss  Rachel  Hammil,  who  was  born  in 
May,  1846,  in  Carroll  County,  Ind.,  and  who  is  the  daughter  of  James 
H.  and  Nancy  (Montgomery)  Hammil,  both  natives  of  Tennessee.  Six 
children  were  born  to  this  union,  viz.:  Edwin,  Frank,  Ofiarles,  Harrison, 
Samuel  and  Harvey.  In  politics,  Mr.  Downs  is  a  Republican,  and  both 
he  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church. 

MAJ.  DAVID  DROKE  was  born  in  East  Tennessee  March  31, 
1800,  and  was  the  second  of  the  twelve  children  born  to  Jacob  and  Cath- 
erine Droke.  He  was  reared  a  farmer,  and  was  married  May  5, 1825,  to 
Rebecca  Shaver,  of  East  Tennessee,  daughter  of  David  and  Catherine 
(Barnger)  Shaver,  and  born  September  8,  1804.  By  this  union  he  became 
the  father  of  ten  children,  of  whom  four  are  still  living — David,  James, 
Martha  and  Eliza.  In  the  fall  of  1849,  he  brought  his  family  to  this 
county,  and  bought  240  acres  at  $6  per  acre.  A  few  years  later,  he  pur- 
chased a  saw  mill,  which  he  ran  for  two  or  three  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Droke  are  members  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  and  they  and 
family,  in  1852,  founded  the  first  Sabbath  school  in  this  township,  and  it 
has  proved  to  be  a  permanent  institution.  While  living  in  Tennessee, 
Mr.  Droke  was  commissioned  Major  of  the  home  militia  or  minutemen, 
of  whom  he  had  previously  been  Captain.  He  is  recognized  as  a  public- 
spirited  citizen,  and  the  family  are  held  in  high  respect  by  the  commu- 
nity. 

DAVID  S.  DROKE  was  born  in  Sullivan  County,  Tenn.,  Decem- 
ber 22,  1829,  and  was  reared  a  farmer.  He  came  to  this  county  with 
his  parents  in  the  fall  of  1849,  and  assisted  his  father  until  about  1852, 
when  he  married  Miss  Eleanor,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Phebe  (Gadd) 
Barnes,  and  born  in  Ohio,  in  1833.  One  son  was  born  to  this  union — 
Jacob  F.,  who  died  when  a  year  old.  For  six  years  after  marriage,  Mr. 
Droke  resided  in  Carroll'  County,  and  then  purchased  his  present 
home  of  forty-three  acres,  six  miles  south  of  Idaville.  Mr.  Droke  is  a 
Democrat,  and  has  served  as  School  Director  and  Road  Master.  He  is 
an  anti-secret  society  man,  but  in  home  politics  votes  for  the  man  of  his 
choice,  rather  than  from  party  dictation.  He  has  used  his  influence  to 
induce  a  number  of  friends  at  the  South  to  come  North,  as  he 
thinks  the  latter  section  possesses  greater  advantages  for  farming  than 
the  former.  He  and  wife  are  firm  members  of  the  United  Presbyterian 
Church.  His  parents,  David  and  Rebecca  (Shaver)  Droke,  were  both 
natives  of  Tennessee,  but  of  German  extraction. 

JAMES  S.  DROKE  was  born  in  Sullivan  County,  Tenn.,  June  5, 
1834,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  came  to  this  county  with  his  parents,  whom 
he  left  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  and  began  farming  on  his  own  account. 
He  was  married,  in  1859,  to  Miss  Minerva  Bagwell,  a  native  of  Parke 


310  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES: 

County,  Ind.,  born  March  8,  1838,  and  daughter  of  William  and  Eliza- 
beth (Martin)  Bagwell,  of  North  Carolina  ;  were  married  in  Parke  Coun- 
ty, and  there  reared  a  family  of  thirteen  children,  and  who  died  in  this 
county  at  the  ag^  of  seventy-two  and  seventy-eight  years  respectively. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Droke  became  the  parents  of  five  children — William  D., 
Alice,  Mary  E.,  John  F.  and  Amanda  J.  Of  these,  only  Mary  E.  and 
Amanda  J.  are  living.  Mr.  Droke,  on  his  marrying,  located  on  the  home 
farm,  where  he  remained  eight  years  and  then  removed  to  Cass  County, 
this  State,  where  he  lived  two  years,  and  then  came  to  his  present  farm 
of  sixty-eight  acres.  He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  United  Presby- 
terian Church. 

D.  L.  FISHER  was  born  in  Carroll  County,  Ind.,  October  14,  1839, 
and  is  the  seventh  of  the  nine  children  born  to  David  and  Susanna  (Pef- 
fler)  Fisher,  who  were  born  in  Virginia  March  20  and  September  22, 
1804,  respectively,  and  who  were  both  of  English  descent,  and  married 
in  Ohio  August  31,  1824,  locating  in  Carroll  County,  Ind.,  shortly  after. 
D.  L.  Fisher  was  reai-ed  a  farmer  and  miller.  E[is  mother  died  in  1847, 
and  his  father,  who  was  a  German  Baptist  minister,  died  February  5, 
1871,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  Mr.  Fisher  began  farming  on  his  own  ac- 
count at  the  age  of  nineteen,  but  soon  rented  a  grist  mill  from  his  father 
near  Camden,  which  he  operated  until  1861,  when  he  moved  to  Cass 
County;  operated  a  mill  there  one  year  and  then  came  to  this  county  and 
bought  a  farm,  which  he  tilled  two  years,  and  then  exchanged  for  a  half 
interest  in  a  mill  seven  miles  northwest  of  Logansport.  In  1866,  he  ex- 
changed this  mill  for  his  present  home,  one  mile  west  of  Burnettsville. 
In  1870,  he  began  selling  farm  machinery,  and  January  1,  1883,  took  in 
as  partner  J.  M.  Love,  and  the  firm  now  carry  a  complete  line  of  agri- 
cultural implements,  wagons,  etc.  June  12,  1859,  he  married  Miss 
Nancy  Murray,  born  in  May,  1838,  and  the  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Sarah  (Carver)  Murray.  To  their  union  have  been  born  five  children — 
Samuel  A.,  Laura  A.,  Mattie  F.,  Lizzie  Pearl  and  Millard.  Mr.  Fisher 
and  wife  are  members  of  the  German  Baptist  Church,  and  in  politics  he 
is  a  Republican. 

GEORGE  W.  FRIDAY  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  February 
22,  1841,  one  of  the  seven  children,  two  now  living,  of  George  W.  and 
Susanna  (Beard)  Friday,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  but  early  immi- 
grants of  Ohio,  where  the  senior  Friday  laid  out  the  town  of  Canton,  on 
land  entered  by  himself  Afterward,  he  went  to  several  points,  and  en- 
tered into  various  kinds  of  business  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  Idaville 
and  engaged  in  general  merchandising  a  few  years,  and  then  retired  to  a 
farm,  where  he  died  in  1878,  aged  sixty-four.  After  receiving  a  fair 
literary  and  commercial  education,  our  subject  joined  his  father  in  mer- 


I 


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THI  NSW  YORK 
PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


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JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  313 

chandising  at  Lockport,  this  State,  for  three  years,  and  then  removed  to 
Kentland  and  did  business  on  his  own  account,  from  the  fall  of  1868  till 
the  beginning  of  1870.  He  then  returned  to  Lockport  and  again  joined 
his  father  for  a  year,  and  then  for  two  years  was  in  business  for  himself, 
when  a  break  in  the  canal  caused  him  a  total  loss  of  his  property,  and  in 
1873  he  came  to  Idaville,  empty-handed,  and  began  common  labor. 
Eighteen  months  later,  he  took  a  position  in  Capt.  Snyder's  store ;  then 
clerked  for  John  G.  Timmons,  then  for  Milan  Carson  and  then  for  Will- 
iam Davis.  He  then  moved  on  his  father's  farm,  which  he  had  purchased 
with  savings  from  his  salary.  After  a  short  time,  he  again  engaged  with 
Mr.  Snyder  for  eighteen  months  at  Monticello,  and  then  joined  William 
Davis,  of  Idaville,  in  the  purchase  of  the  stock  of  goods  belonging  to  J. 
G.  Timmons,  worth  $2,784.  This  partnership  was  dissolved  in  Decem- 
ber, 1882,  Mr.  Friday  continuing  the  business.  April  6,  1866,  Mr.  Fri- 
day married  Margaret  J.,  daughter  of  John  and  Martha  Woods,  and 
born  in  Ohio  January  29,  1844.  To  this  union  have  been  born  f)ur 
children,  of  whom  two  are  living — Milan  B.  and  Frederick  J. 

JOSEP^i  GLASGOW  was  born  in  Adams  County,  Ohio,  March  6, 
1832,  but  fiom  the  age  of  two  was  reared  in  Shelby  County  on  a  farm. 
He  is  the  eldest  son  and  second  of  the  nine  children  born  to  Arthur  and 
Eliza  (McCullaugh)  Glasgow,  natives  of  Adams  County,  and  of  Scotch 
and  Irish  extraction.  About  1850,  Arthur  Glasgow  made  an  overland 
trip  to  California ;  remained  there  until  June,  1852,  and  while  on  his  way 
home  was  attacked  by  cholera,  and  died  between  the  Isthmus  of  Panama 
and  New  York,  aged  forty-three.  Mrs.  Eliza  Glasgow  died  in  Shelby 
County  in  1870,  aged  fifty-eight  years.  From  1850,  Joseph  Glasgow 
managed  the  home  farm  until  November  2,  1859,  when  he  was  married 
to  Sarah  SoUenberger,  the  youngest  of  the  seven  children  born  to  Daniel 
and  Esther  (Wenger)  SoUenberger,  and  born  April  5,  1833.  To  this 
union  there  were  born  six  children — Jennie,  Lizzie,  Alma,  John  F.,  Josie 
and  William  W.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Glasgow  came  to  White  County  in 
the  fall  of  1869,  and  here  died  the  following  year,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
seven.  His  widow  is  yet  living,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three.  In  June, 
1865,  Mr.  Glasgow  came  to  this  township,  and  purchased  120  acres  of 
land  on  Section  19,  and  is  now  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-rearing. 
He  is  a  public-spirited  citizen,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  get  up  a  peti- 
tion for  the  construction  of  a  public  ditch  east  of  the  river.  Mrs.  Glas- 
gow is  a  member  of  the  Protestant  Methodist  Church. 

SAMUEL  P.  GLASGOW  was  born  in  Shelby  County,  Ohio,  De- 
cember 17,  1842,  and  is  the  sixth  in  the  family  born  to  Arthur  and  Eliza 
Glasgow.  He  was  reared  a  farmer,  and  in  the  spring  of  1864  enlisted 
in  Company  K,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  Indiana  Volunteer  In- 

19 


314  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

fantry,  under  the  call  for  100-day  men.  He  was  discharged  in  the  fall 
of  1864,  and  on  his  return  assumed  full  charge  of  the  home  farm,  which 
he  conducted  until  the  fall  of  1870,  when  he  came  to  this  township,  locat- 
ing on  Section  19,  where  he  now  owns  a  highly  improved  farm  of  235 
acres.  He  was  married,  October  15,  1867,  to  Jennie  E.,  daughter  of 
Abraham  and  Anna  Stipp,  of  Shelby  County,  Ohio,  and  born  May  20, 
1846.  To  this  union  have  been  born  four  children — Maggie  A.,  Wilda 
M.,  an  infant  who  died  unnamed,  and  James  S.  Mr.  Glasgow  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  always  takes  a  leading  part  in  home  enterprises. 
He  began  life  a  poor  man,  but  is  now  one  of  the  well-to-do  farmers  of  the 
township. 

PERRY  GODLOVE  was  born  in  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  June  4, 
1832,  and  is  one  of  the  nine  children  of  Joseph  and  Hannah  (Bumgard- 
ner)  Godlove,  natives  of  Virginia.  The  family  came  to  Delaware  County, 
this  State,  when  Perry  was  but  an  infant,  engaged  in  farming,  and  there 
the  father  and  mother  died  in  1859  and  1855  respectively.  Of  the  chil- 
dren, only  two  sons  and  two  daughters  survive,  and  reside  in  Kansas,  with 
the  exception  of  our  subject.  Mr.  Godlove  was  married,  May  26,  1855, 
to  Miss  Margaret  H.  Shaffer,  born  April  8,  1838,  and  daughter  of  John 
and  Eliza  Shaff"er,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  There  were  born  to  their 
union  eight  children — Flora  E.,  Emma  J.,  Albert,  Ida  L.,  Henry  M., 
John  E.,  Frank  and  Eva.  In  the  fall  of  1863,  Mr.  G.  and  family  came 
to  this  county,  where  he  purchased  440  acres  of  land,  which  he  has  since 
increased  to  560  acres,  all  in  one  body,  and  valued  at  |45  to  $50  per 
acre.  In  October,  1864,  he  enlisted  in  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-second  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  honorably  discharged 
in  July,  1865.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  he  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Church  of  God,  of  which  he  is  a  Trustee. 

DAVID  C.  GRAHAM  was  born  in  Mifflin  County,  Penn.,  March 
4,  1823,  and  is  the  eldest  of  the  six  children  born  to  Enos  and  Elizabeth 
(Criswell)  Graham,  natives  of  the  same  State.  David  C.  Graham  was 
reared  a  farmer,  but  at  his  majority  began  teaching  school,  having  chosen 
that  as  a  profession.  At  the  end  of  four  years,  however,  he  concluded  to 
come  West.  In  1852,  he  married  Miss  Mary  J.  Pecht,  of  Mifflin  County, 
the  daughter  of  Frederick  and  Sarah  (Crissman)  Pecht,  and  born  March 
24,  1831.  To  this  marriage  have  been  born  five  children — Sarah  E., 
Sidney  W.,  Frank  L.,  Robert  0.  and  Samuel  L.  Mr.  Graham  had  passed 
a  summer  in  this  county  in  1848,  but  did  not  come  to  reside  permanently 
until  May,  1852,  when  he  located  on  Section  22,  where  he  remained  three 
years,  and  then  returned  East,  remaining  ten  years,  and  then  coming 
back  to  Burnettsville.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 


JACKSON   TOWNSHIP.  315 

JOSEPH  L.  HALL,  of  the  firm  of  Hall,  Barns  &  Co.,  was  born  in 
Ohio  December  81,  1844,  and  is  the  son  of  William  and  Elizabeth 
(Quimby)  Hall,  natives  of  New  York  State.  The  family  came  to  this 
county  in  1850,  locating  on  a  farm  in  Liberty  Township,  where  the 
father  died.  Two  years  later  the  mother  married  William  Conwell,  and 
removed  to  La  Porte  County,  and  thence  to  Southwestern  Illinois,  where 
they  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  At  the  age  of  thirteen,  Joseph 
L.  Hall  was  compelled  to  take  care  of  himself,  and  when  seventeen,  en- 
listed in  Company  D,  Twelfth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was 
mustered  into  service  at  Indianapolis,  in  June,  1862,  and  his  first  fight 
was  at  Richmond,  Ky.,  where  he  was  taken  prisoner,  but  soon  after  re- 
ceived a  parole,  and  rejoined  his  company  at  Indianapolis.  His  next  en- 
gagement was  at  Vicksburg ;  then  followed  Jackson,  Missionary  Ridge, 
Resaca,  Dallas,  New  Hope,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Nickajack  Creek, 
Atlanta,  Jonesboro,  Savannah,  Columbus  and  Raleigh.  He  received  his 
discharge  in  June,  1865,  when  he  returned  to  this  county  and  engaged 
in  farming  on  rented  land.  .He  was  married,  October  9.  1866,  to  Miss 
Nancy  Price,  a  native  of  White  County,  and  born  in  October,  1843.  To 
this  union  were  born  six  children,  two  now  living — John  T.  and  Aaron 
J.  In  the  fall  of  1880,  Mr.  Hall  moved  to  Yeoman,  Carroll  County,  and 
engaged  in  merchandising  ten  months  ;  then  moved  his  stock  to  Idaville, 
where  he  did  business  on  his  own  account  until  September,  1882,  when  he 
sold  two-thirds  of  his  interest,  and  formed  his  present  copartnership.  Mr. 
H.  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  0.  F.,  and  is  a  Democrat. 

JOHN  HANNAH  was  born  in  Greene  County,  Ohio,  December  14, 
1810,  and  is  the  son  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  Hannah,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania. At  the  age  of  twenty,  he  rented  land  and  farmed  until  Novem- 
ber, 1834,  when  he  came  to  this  county  and  entered  120  acres,  and  made 
his  home  with  his  father  (who  had  come  here  in  1833)  until  he  had  made 
some  improvements.  November  27,  1838,  he  married  Miss  Margaret, 
daughter  of  William  and  Mary  Gibson,  who  came  from  Greene  County, 
Ohio,  to  this  township  in  1834.  To  his  marriage  were  born  eleven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  six  are  living — Mary  E.,  Lucinda,  Isabel  J.,  Margaret, 
John  W.  and  William  H.  Mrs.  Hannah  died  October  4,  1882,  aged 
sixty-three  years.  In  1865,  Mr.  Hannah  rented  his  fiirm  and  moved  to 
Burnettsville,  where  he  bought  a  stock  of  groceries  and  other  goods,  and 
conducted  business  until  1871,  when  he  traded  his  goods  and  village 
property  for  the  Dale  farm,  south  of  town.  On  this  he  lived  until  the 
June  following,  when  he  moved  to  Idaville,  and  again  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising until  the  fall  of  1863,  when  he  exchanged  stocks  with  Perry 
Gates,  of  Burnettsville,  at  which  point  he  did  business  until  December, 
1877,  when  he  traded  his  goods  for  a  farm  of  160  acre^  in  Cass  Town- 


316  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

ship,  on  which  he  lived  until  1880.  He  then  resided  in  Burnettsville 
two  years,  and  returned  to  the  farm  he  had  originally  entered,  where  he 
lives  in  retirement  with  his  youngest  son.  Mr.  Hannah  is  one  of  the 
oldest  and  most  useful  citizens  of  Jackson.  He  was  present  at  the  first 
election  in  the  township,  and  was  one  of  the  first  petit  jurors  of  the 
county.  He  assisted  in  building  the  first  schoolhouse,  and  has  done  as 
much  as  any  man  for  the  building  up  of  Burnettsville. 

ANDREW  HANNAH  was  born  in  Greene  County,  Ohio,  May  6, 
1816,  and  was  the  fourth  of  the  eight  children  born  to  Robe' t  and  Eliza- 
beth Hannah,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Kentucky,  and  of  Irish  ex- 
traction. Andrew  was  reared  a  farmer.  He  came  with  his  father  to  this 
county  in  1833,  and  settled  in  what  was  afterward  known  as  Jackson 
Township,  being  the  third  or  fourth  permanent  settler.  He  was  present 
at  the  first  town  meeting,  and  cast  the  only  Whig  vote  polled.  His  first 
Presidential  vote  was  given  for  Gen.  Harrison  in  1840,  but  on  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Republican  party  he  joined  its  ranks.  He  came  to  his  pres- 
ent home  in  the  spring  of  1841.  December  5,  1887,  he  married  Miss 
Jane,  the  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Phoebe  Barnes,  natives  of  Ohio,  who 
came  to  this  county  in  1834.  To  this  union  were  born  eight  children,  of 
whom  only  three  grew  to  maturity.  Mrs.  Hannah  died  March  9,  1855. 
The  same  spring,  Mr.  Hannah  married  Margaret,  the  daughter  of  John 
and  Lovina  (Schora)  Dimmit,  and  born  in  Pennsylvania  April  15,  1827. 
To  this  union  were  born  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are  still  living — 
Adam  F.,  Gilbert  C,  Joseph,  Gillespie,  Mary  A.  and  Maggie  E.  Mr. 
Hannah  is  now  the  second  oldest  resident  of  this  township,  and  owns 
upward  of  900  acres  of  land.  In  1875,  he  founded  a  sect  known 
as  Reformed  Presbyterians,  with  a  membership  of  forty-five,  and  from 
his  own  funds  erected  a  church  edifice  which  cost  about  $2,000,  and  has 
contributed  about  $400  annually  to  the  support  of  the  church  ever  since. 
Mr.  Hannah  has  served  as  County  Commissioner  one  term,  and  was  re-^ 
nominated,  but,  refusing  to  be  led  by  the  county  ring,  was  defeated  for 
a  second  term. 

PATRICK  HAYS  was  born  in  Ireland  March  3,  1843,  and  when 
but  two  years  of  age  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  America,  landing  in 
Canada,  but  soon  coming  to  the  States.  Early  in  1861,  Mr.  Hays  fixed 
upon  Medarysville  as  a  home.  In  August  of  the  same  year,  he  enlisted 
in  Company  C,  Twenty-ninth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  as- 
signed to  Gen.  A.  M.  D.  McCook's  division  in  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland. His  first  fight  was  at  Shiloh,  after  which  he  was  promoted  to 
Fifth  Sergeant.  After  the  siege  of  Corinth,  he  was  made  First  Sergeant. 
He  was  next  at  Stone  River,  Lavarne,  Triune,  Liberty  Gap  and  Chicka- 
mauga,  in  the  last  being  struck  by  bullets   three  times  inside  of  twenty 


JACKSON   TOAVN.SITIP.  317 

minutes,  one  minie  ball  passing  through  his  left  thigh.  After  three 
weeks'  treatment  in  the  hospital  at  Nashville,  he  carae  home  on  a  thirty 
days'  furlough.  At  the  end  of  this  time,  being  still  disabled,  he  was 
commissioned  Recruiting  Sergeant,  and  enlisted  twenty-one  men.  He 
rejoined  his  regiment  in  May,  1864,  at  Chattanooga,  and  was  commis- 
sioned First  Lieutenant.  He  veteranized  at  this  time,  and  in  November, 
186  4,  was  promoted  to  a  Captaincy.  In  December,  1865,  he  was  honor- 
ably discharged,  and  then  came  to  Idaville,  where  he  worked  at  shoe- 
making  for  some  time.  He  then  engaged  in  merchandising,  and  then  in 
farming,  and. has  met  with  success,  having  a  neat  home  and  eighty-three 
acres  of  well  cultivated  land.  Mr,  Hays  was  married,  January  25,  1870, 
to  Miss  Loretta  Irelan,  who  was  born  December  15,  1846.  He  is  a 
Democrat,  and  in  the  spring  of  1882  was  elected  Road  Supervisor.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of 
God. 

HENRY  HEINY,  of  the  firm  of  Heiny  &  Good,  is  a  native  of 
Wayne  County,  Ind.,  was  born  in  1838,  and  is  the  fifth  of  the  eleven  chil- 
dren born  to  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth  (Lantz)  Heiny,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania. The  family  came  to  Carroll  County,  Ind.,  at  an  early  day, 
and  there  the  father  died  in  1861,  aged  sixty-one  years.  Henry  Heiny 
was  reared  on  a  farm  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  began  the  car- 
penter's trade,  which  he  followed  until  his  enlistment,  July  20,  1862,  in 
the  Seventy-second  Mounted  Infantry,  then  known  as  the  Lightning 
Brigade.  He  served  under  Gen.  Thomas,  and  was  at  Hoover's  Gap, 
Flat  Shoals,  Ga.,  Rome,  Chickamauga,  Ebenezer  Church,  Selraa,  Colum- 
bia, etc.,  and  his  company  was  the  first  to  enter  Macon,  Ga.  He  received 
his  final  discharge  at  Indianapolis  July  6,  1865.  On  his  return,  he 
developed  a  farm  in  Adams  /Township,  Carroll  County,  two  and  a  half 
miles  south  of  Idaville,  which  he  still  makes  his  home.  In  the  spring  of 
1882,  he  engaged  in  the  agricultural  implement  trade  in  Idaville,  and 
in  the  following  July  received  Mr.  Good  as  partner.  The  firm  now  carry 
a  full  line  of  implements  and  agricultural  machinery.  Mr.  Heiny  was 
married,  in  1873,  to  Miss  Sai'ah  Jane,  daughter  of  David  and  Deborah 
(Hobson)  Coble.  To  this  union  have  been  born  two  children — Flora  E. 
and  Elmore  E.  Mr.  H.  is  a  Republican,  and  a  member  of  I.  0.  ().  F. 
Lodge.  No.  506. 

JOSEPH  HENDERSON  was  born  in  Juniata  County,  Penn.,  May 
16,  1841,  and  is  the  son  of  Andrew  and  Martha  (Harris)  Henderson. 
The  family  came  to  this  county  in  1853,  and  shortly  after  arrival  Mrs. 
Henderson  died,  leaving  ten  children.  Her  husband  died  in  the  fall  of 
1855,  while  on  a  visit  to  a  son  in  Jasper  County,  aged  fifty-four  years. 
Joseph    Henderson    lived    with    John    Hannah    and  then  with  Andrew 


318  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

Hannah  until  October  10,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  C, 
Forty-sixth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  ;  he  joined  his  regiment  at 
New  Madrid,  and  a  few  days  later  was  in  the  fight  at  Tiptonville ; 
then  at  Fort  Pillow,  Memphis,  where  his  regiment  was  the  first 
to  enter  the  city ;  thence  he  was  sent  to  Helena,  and  after  an  ex- 
pedition up  the  White  River,  was  taken  sick  and  was  granted  a  fur- 
lough ;  he  rejoined  his  regiment  near  Fort  Pemberton,  took  part  in  the 
Vicksburg  campaign,  witnessed  the  bombardment  of  Port  Gibson,  and 
was  Avounded  by  a  mini^  ball  at  Champion's  Hill.  At  Madison,  he  was 
taken  prisoner,  but  soon  exchanged ;  he  joined  his  company  at  New 
Iberia,  and  at  New  Orleans  re-enlisted  for  three  years  or  during  the  war ; 
he  was  in  the  Red  River  expedition,  and  at  the  battle  of  Sabine  Cross 
Roads  was  wounded  in  the  left  arm.  After  leaving  the  hospital  at  New 
Orleans,  he  re-joined  the  army  at  Anderson,  Ky.  At  Lexington,  he  was 
promoted  First  Lieutenant,  and  three  months  later  to  a  Captaincy.  At 
the  close  of  the  war,  he  was  honorably  discharged — September  4,  1865. 
August  21,  1866,  he  married  Miss  Adeline,  daughter  of  John  M.  and 
Elizabeth  (Burns)  Carson,  of  Idaville,  !  orn  February  23,  1847.  To  this 
union  were  born  four  children — Minnie  B.,  Lizzie  E.,  John  M.  and  Elsie 
L.  (deceased).  Mr.  H.  is  a  successful  farmer;  he  is  a  Republican,  and 
he  and  wife  are  members  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church. 

LYMAN  W.  HENRY,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Massachusetts  Febru- 
ary 26,  1817,  and  is  one  of  eight  children  born  to  William  and  Rhoda 
(Davison)  Henry.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  also  learned  carpenter- 
ing. In  the  fall  of  1839,  in  Crawford  County,  Penn.,  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  Robins,  and  two  years  later  began  practicing. 
In  1845,  he  located  at  Centerville,  Ohio,  and  read  one  year  with  Dr. 
Hewitt.  In  1846,  he  came  to  this  county  and  settled  on  the  present 
site  of  Burnettsville.  On  the  12th  of  December,  that  year,  he  received 
his  first  call  in  the  new  location,  and  from  that  time  until  the  spring  of 
1848  was  kept  busy  in  his  practice;  he  then  returned  to  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  remained  three  years,  recruiting  his  health ;  he  next  passed  a 
year  in  Mayville,  Wis.,  and  then  came  back  to  Burnettsville,  and  is  now 
enjoying  an  extensive  and  lucrative  practice ;  he  has  been  three  times 
married — first,  December  20,  1839,  to  Miss  Hannah  Perry,  who  was 
born  in  Canada  July  30,  1820,  and  who  bore  him  one  son,  Edgar  B., 
ow  a  druggist  at  Burnettsville.  His  second  marriage,  November  29, 
1865,  was  to  Nancy  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  April  8,  1829. 
July  16,  1868,  he  married  Rebecca  (Adwell)  Ball,  daughter  of  William 
Adwell,  and  born  in  Virginia  December  16,  1831.  To  this  union  has 
been  born  one  daughter,  Mary  Ella.  Dr.  Henry  has  filled  the  ofiices  of 
Coroner,  Township  Trustee,  Secretary  of  Board  of  Health  and  Corpora- 
tion Trustee,  and  he  and  wife  are  Seventh-Day  Adventists. 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  319 

E.  R.  HERMAN  was  born  in  Miami  County,  Ohio,  February  15, 
1831,  and  is  the  second  eldest  of  the  eleven  children  born  to  Franklin  J. 
and  Mary  A.  (Robbins)  Herman,  natives  of  Kentucky  and  Pennsylvania 
respectively.  Franklin  J.  Herman  and  family  came  to  this  township  in 
1839,  and  located  forty  acres ;  he  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
twenty-five  years,  and  died  February  10,  1861 ;  his  widow  still  resides 
'On  the  homestead.  E.  R.  Herman,  when  nineteen  years  old,  began 
teaching  school,  but  in  1855  took  up  law  and  read  until  1861,  teaching 
school  and  practicing  at  intervals.  In  October,  1861,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  E,  Forty-sixth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  was  elected  First 
Lieutenant,  and  campaigned  through  Kentucky,  Arkansas  and  Mississippi. 
The  next  spring  he  resigned  his  commission,  but  remained  with  his  com- 
pany until  July ;  then  returned  and  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  for 
three  years,  and  then  went  to  Rochester,  Ind.,  where  he  followed  the 
legal  profession  until  the  fall  of  1881,  when  he  returned  to  Burnettsville, 
to  assist  in  caring  for  his  aged  mother.  He  was  married,  in  1856,  to 
Miss  Margaret  E.,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Margaret  Cullen,  born  in 
White  County,  September  21,  1831.  To  this  union  were  born  three 
children — Mariel  D.,  Alpha  and  Ashton  Floyd.  Mr.  Herman  is  a  Royal 
Arch  Mason  and  a  Democrat,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

JAMES  T.  HOWARD  was  born  in  Bourbon  County,  Ky.,  May  2, 
1831,  and  is  one  of  the  eight  children  of  Greenbery  and  Cynthia  (Arra- 
smith)  Howard,  natives  of  Maryland  and  Kentucky.  Greenbery  Howard 
brought*  his  family  to  this  State  in  1834,  locating  in  Putnam  County, 
and  he  there  died  March  24,  1869 ;  his  widow  survives  him,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six  years,  and  resides  in  Bainbridge.  James  T.  Howard  was 
reared  a  farmer,  and  in  September,  1869,  he  came  to  this  township  and 
located  on  his  present  farm  of  112  acres,  part  of  which  is  included  within 
the  corporate  limits  of  Burnettsville.  Pie  was  married,  October  17, 
1853,  to  Miss  Harriet  L.  Rankin,  who  was  born  in  Montgomery  County, 
Ind.,  in  1832,  and  daughter  of  William  and  Harriet  W.  (VVren)  Rankin, 
both  natives  of  Kentucky.  To  this  union  nine  children  have  been  born, 
of  whom  seven  are  living — Emily  E.,  Harriet  B.,  Martha  J.,  Anna  E., 
Mary  E.,  Simpson  and  William  W.  Those  dead  were  named  Cynthia 
and  Elmer.  Mr.  Howard  has  served  as  Town  Councilman  of  Burnetts- 
ville, and  he  and  wife  are    members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

A.  H.  IRELAN  was  born  in  Carroll  County,  Ind.,  in  1837,  and  was 
one  of  nine  children  born  to  William  and  Lucinda  (Hannah)  Irelan, 
natives  respectively  of  Kentucky  and  Ohio.  In  1834,  William  Irelan 
came  from  Greene  County,  Ohio,  and  settled  in  Carroll  County,  this 
State ;  lived  there  fourteen  years ;  then  came  to  this  township  and  im- 


320  _  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

proved  eighty  acres  of  land,  on  a  part  of  which  was  subsequently  laid  the 
original  plat  of  Burnettsville ;  four  years  later,  he  moved  to  the  south  of 
Idaville,  where  he  bought  and  improved  100  acres  of  land;  later,  he 
returned  to  Burnettsville,  where  he  kept  hotel  two  years,  and  then  removed 
to  Carroll  County,  where  he  died  September  8,  1855.  His  widow  resides 
in  Idaville.  at  an  advanced  age.  A.  H.  Irelan  was  reared  a  farmer,  and 
at  the  age  of  fifteen  began  work  on  his  own  account.  In  1863,  he  moved 
to  Idaville,  thence  to  Minnesota,  and  a  year  later  came  back  to  Burnetts- 
ville. In  October,  1864,  he  enlisted  in  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-second  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  honorably  discharged 
July  17,  1865.  On  his  return,  he  engaged  in  farming,  and  in  May, 
1880,  began  merchandising.  He  was  married  September  13,  1857,  to 
Miss  Nancy  Heiny,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Sarah  (Lantz)  Heiny,  of 
Carroll  County,  Ind.  Six  children  were  born  to  this  marriage,  of  whom 
two  are  now  living — Claudius  D.  and  Singer  B. 

HENRY  JOHNSONBAUGH  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  January 
14,  1810,  and  is  the  fourth  of  the  six  children  of  Frederick  and  Eva 
(Shafer)  Johnsonbaugh,  of  German  descent.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm 
until  he  was  fifteen,  when  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  shoe-maker,  whom  he 
served  three  years,  and  then  opened  a  shop  of  his  own.  In  1831,  he  came 
to  Wayne  County,  Ind.;  located  near  Germantown ;  worked  awhile  at  his 
trade,  and  then,  for  six  years,  worked  in  a  still-house,  earning  sufficient 
money  to  purchase  fifty-four  acres  of  land  at  $11  per  acre ;  this  land  he 
sold  in  the  fall  of  1856  for  $48  per  acre,  and  then  came  to  this  township 
and  purchased  100  acres  of  his  present  farm.  He  was  married  Novem- 
ber 30,  1836,  to  Miss  Christina,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Shafer) 
Condo,  and  born  in  Pennsylvania  December  13,  1816.  To  this  union 
were  born  eleven  children,  seven  now  living — Elizabeth,  Matilda,  Ira, 
John,  Sanford,  Susan  E.  and  Emma  E.  Mr.  Johnsonbaugh  has  served 
as  Township  Trustee  five  years,  and  has  filled  several  minor  offices. 
He  has  been  called  upon  to  act  as  Administrator  for  several  estates,  and 
has  given  thorough  satisfaction  in  every  instance.  He  joined  the 
Lutheran  Church  when  but  twenty  years  of  age,  and  is  still  a  member  ; 
his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

DR.  A.  B.  JONES  was  born  in  North  Carolina  October  27,  1825, 
where  he  attended  school  and  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  cabinet- 
making;  at  these  trades  he  worked  until  1857.  He  was  of  a  roving  dis- 
position, and  traveled  through  many  States  during  his  early  manhood. 
His  first  business  venture  was  near  Georgetown,  Ky.,  where  he  purchased 
a  set  of  artesian  well  tools,  with  which  he  worked  one  year.  He  resided 
afterward  in  Southern  Indiana,  then  in  Missouri,  where  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine  with  his  brother  in  1857,  continuing  until  1860,  when 


JACKSON   TOWNSHIP.  321 

he  joined  his  parents  near  Greenville,  Tenn.  In  1861,  he  moved  to 
Georgetown,  Ind.,  wher'e  he  entered  into  practice.  He  was  married, 
June  30,  1864,  to  Maggie  R.,  daughter  of  James  Gordon,  of  Cass  County. 
In  1863,  he  came  to  Burnettsville,  this  township,  and  in  September,  1865, 
moved  to  Francesville,  Pulaski  County,  where  his  wife  died  in  February, 
1866.  Soon  after  this  event,  the  Doctor  sold  out  and,  in  July,  18o6, 
located  in  Idaville,  where  he  remained  one  year;  then  moved  to  Lincoln- 
ville,  Wabash  County.  In  1868,  he  came  to  Burnettsville,  where  he 
now  has  a  large  practice.  December  1,  1871,  he  married  Mrs.  Loretta 
(McClure)  Hawkins,  of  Wabash,  Ind.,  whose  great-grandfather's  school 
the  Doctor  had  attended  two  terms.  In  1879-80,  the  Doctor  improved 
his  studies  by  attending  lectures  at  the  Indiana  Medical  College,  and  also 
attended  a  special  course  at  the  Central  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons in  1882-83. 

J.  M.  LOVE,  of  the  firm  of  J.  M.  Love  &  Bro.,  was  born  in  Carroll 
County,  Ind.,  December  5,  1845,  and  is  the  eldest  of  the  seven  children 
born  to  William  and  Deborah  (Cochran)  Love,  natives  respectively  of 
Missouri  and  South  Carolina.  J.  M.  Love  was  reared  a  farmer,  and 
attended  school  until  nineteen,  when  he  began  teaching.  In  1869,  he 
formed  a  copartnership  with  J.  W.  Wimer  in  mercantile  trade.  Febru- 
ary 15,  1881,  Mr.  Wimer  withdrew,  and  Mr.  Love  continued  alone,  and 
is  now  doing  a  business  of  from  $15,000  to  $20,000  per  annum,  handling 
general  merchandise  and  buying  all  kinds  of  grain.  He  is  also  one  of 
the  firm  of  D.  L.  Fisher  &  Co.,  agricultural  implement  dealers  at  Bur- 
nettsville. He  was  married,  November  24,  1868,  to  Miss  Catherine 
Barnes,  of  Carroll  County,  and  the  daughter  of  W.  A.  and  Nancy 
(Karr)  Barnes,  both  natives  of  Ohio.  To  this  marriage  have  been  born 
three  children — Cora,  Jennie  and  a  son  now  deceased.  Mr.  Love  is  a 
Republican,  and  has  filled  the  office  of  School  Board  Treasurer  for  the 
past  six  years. 

JOHN  W.  McAllister  was  bom  in  Jefferson  County,  Ind.,  July 
9,  1840,  and  is  one  of  the  nine  children  of  Alexander  and  Eliza  (Raw- 
lings)  McAllister,  natives  respectively  of  Kentucky  and  Louisiana.  Mr. 
McA.  was  reared  a  farmer  and  lived  at  home  until  the  fall  of  1861,  when 
he  enlisted  in  Company  B,  Twelfth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  one 
year.  August  11,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  K,  Eighty-second  In- 
diana Volunteer  Infantry,  for  three  years,  or  during  the  war,  and  was 
honorably  discharged  in  June,  1865.  At  Atlanta,  in  1864,  he  was  com- 
missioned First  Lieutenant,  and  was  placed  in  command  of  a  company 
in  the  Twenty-third  regiment  from  Missouri,  but  in  the  same  brigade. 
During  all  his  time  of  service,  he  was  on  active  duty,  and  was  never  once 
injured  or  called  for  hospital  relief.      On   his  return,  he  engaged  in  the 


322  BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES: 

drug  business  for  three  years  at  Dupont,  and  was  then  occupied  with 
other  pursuits  until  1874,  when  he  came  to  this  township  and  re-engaged 
in  the  drug  trade  at  Idaville,  where  he  has  been  doing  a  prosperous  busi- 
ness ever  since.  He  has  given  the  study  of  medicine  some  attention,  and 
during  the  term  of  1879-80,  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Indiana 
Medical  College.  Mr.  McA.  was  married  in  1875  to  Miss  Hattie  Gib- 
son, born  in  Idaville  January  !,  1852,  and  daughter  of  Cyrus  and  Mattie 
S.  (Droke)  Gibson,  natives  of  Tennessee.  Mr.  McA.  is  a  Republican,  an 
Odd  Fellow,  and  Treasurer  of  the  Building  Committee  that  has  charge  of 
Odd  Fellows'  Hall,  now  in  process  of  erection  at  Idaville.  Mrs.  McA.  is 
a  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church.  Alexander  McAllister 
became  a  resident  of  Jefferson  County,  Ind.,  in  1812,  was  there  mar- 
ried, and  there  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-four. 

DAVID  McCONAHAY  was  born  in  Bourbon  County,  Ky.,  Janu- 
ary 5,  1817,  and  moved  with  his  father  to  Rush  County  in  1829,  then  to 
this  county  in  the  fall  of  1833,  but  after  a  short  sojourn  returned  to  Rush 
County,  where  David  remained  until  1835,  when  he  came  back  to  this 
county,  locating  in  Big  Creek  Township.  He  taught  the  first  school  in 
what  is  now  known  as  Liberty  Township  for  eight  terms.  October  15, 
1840,  he  married  Miss  Sarah,  daughter  of  James  and  Rebecca  (Boyd) 
Grose,  born  in  this  State  August  15,  1825.  He  had  born  to  him  seven 
children,  of  whom  three  are  now  living — Rebecca  J.,  Mai-y  L.  and  Sarah 
M,  In  August,  1848,  Mr.  McC.  moved  to  this  township  and  entered 
eighty  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  resided  twenty-seven  years.  He 
started  in  life  a  poor  man,  but  by  industry  has  acquired  a  competence, 
owning  124  acres  of  land  and  village  lots  valued  at  upward  of  |2,000. 
He  now  lives  in  retirement.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  joined  the  Metho- 
dist Church,  but  in  1850  changed  to  the  Christian  Church,  of  which  his 
wife  is  also  a  member.  He  was  soon  licensed  to  preach,  and  in  1853  was 
ordained.  He  performed  his  clerical  duties  faithfully  over  twenty  years, 
when  failing  health  compelled  him  to  withdraw.  He  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  was  elected  County  Assessor  in  1849-50,  and  has  since  served 
as  Township  Trustee  two  terms  and  Assessor  one  term.  He  is  an  Odd 
Fellow  and  charter  member  of  Lodge  No.  556.  His  parents  were  James 
and  Lovina  McConahay,  natives  respectively  of  Pennsylvania  and  Mary- 
land, and  of  Scotch-Irish  and  German  extraction. 

WILLIAM  McCORKLE  was  born  in  Schuylkill  County,  Penn., 
February  19,  1844,  and  is  the  youngest  of  the  six  children  of  William 
and  Elizabeth  (Froltz)  McCorkle,  natives  of  Ireland  and  Pennsylvania. 
William  McCorkle,  when  a  mere  child,  was  taken  by  his  widowed  mother 
to  Lebanon  County,  where  he  attended  school  at  intervals  until  fifteen, 
when  he  entered  an  apprenticeship  of  two  years  at  blacksmithing.     Sep- 


JACKSON   TOWNSHIP.  323 

tember  5,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Volun- 
teer Cavalry,  for  three  years,  and  was  placed  under  Gen.  Sheridan  in  the 
army  of  the  Potomac,  and  his  first  fight  was  at  Kelly's  Ford  ;  he  was  met 
at  Richmond  in  the  seven  day's  fight.  ,  On  the  seventh  day,  at  Malvern 
Hill,  Mr.  McC.  wassunstruck,  and  for  four  weeks  was  not  fit  for  duty ;  at  the 
battle  of  Antietam,  he  was  wounded  slightly  by  a  small  piece  of  shell ; 
later,  he  was  placed  under  Gen.  Burnside,  and  was  at  the  fights  of  Fred- 
ericksburg and  Chancellorsville  ;  then  at  Gettysburg  and  then  at  Peters- 
burg. He  was  veteranized  January  1, 1864,  at  Bristow  Station,  Va.,  re- 
enlisting  for  three  years,  or  during  the  war,  and  received  his  second 
discharge  July  1,  1865,  at  Lynchburg,  Va,,  and  was  mustered  out  at 
Pittsburgh,  Penn.  On  his  return  home,  he  entered  the  shop  which  he  had 
left  in  1861,  then  went  with  his  employer  for  a  short  time  to  Martins- 
burg,  Va.,  and  October  18,  1865,  came  to  Monticello,  where,  for  awhile, 
he  worked  at  his  trade  and  afterward  engaged  in  the  saloon  business  for 
a  short  time.  November  15,  1866,  fe  married  Miss  Margaret  D.  Howie, 
a  native  of  Scotland  and  born  in  1845.  To  this  union,  there  has  been 
born  one  child — Jennie.  Mr.  McC.  disposed  of  his  saloon  and  absented 
himself  from  the  county  for  several  years.  In  the  fall  of  1872,  he  re- 
turned and  engaged  in  various  occupations  until  the  spring  of  1882,  when 
he  entered  into  partnership  with  Robert  Jones,  and  they  are  now  running 
the  only  blacksmith  shop  in  town.  Mr.  McC.  is  a  Republican,  and  has 
served  as  School  Trustee  :  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  member  of  the  G. 
A.  R.,  and  he  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Church  of  God. 

STEPHEN  MARVIN  was  born  in  Jennings  County,  Ind.,  June  26, 
1826,  and  is  one  of  the  twelve  children  of  Delancey  and  Lydia  (Albert) 
Marvin,  both  natives  of  New  York  State.  Delancey  Marvin  came  to  the 
southern  part  of  this  State  in  1817,  remained  a  short  time  and  then 
moved  to  Kentucky,  where  he  lived  eighteen  years  and  then  returned  to 
Jennings  County,  where  he  and  wife  are  yet  living,  aged  respectively 
eighty-eight  and  eighty-five  years.  Stephen  Marvin  learned  shoemaking 
of  his  father,  and  when  but  thirteen  years  old  made  two  pairs  of  shoes  in 
a  day.  He  became  an  expert,  and  has  made  his  own  pegs  and  completed 
five  pairs  of  shoes  between  sun  and  sun.  In  1843,  he  married  Maria  J. 
Childs,  who  was  born  in  Jennings  County,  Ind.,  in  1826,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  John  and  Nancy  (Baker)  Childs,  both  natives  of  Kentucky. 
To  this  union  have  been  born  eleven  children — Sarah  J.  (deceased),  Henry 
D.,  Nancy  A.,  John  G.,  William  T.,  Lottie,  Emma  E.,  Frances  M., 
Charles,  George  F.  and  Oscar  0.  In  1862,  Mr.  Marvin  came  to  this 
township  and  settled  on  part  of  the  land  entered  by  his  father  in  1833, 
and  here  has  superintended  his  farm  and  worked  at  his  trade  ever  since. 
Mr.  Marvin,  with  his  son,  William  T.,  is  the  inventor  of  a  draft  equalizer. 


324  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES: 

and  has  now  an  application  in  for  a  patent  for  a  boot  with  only  one  seam 
(cut  to  save  crimping),  and  also  for  a  shoe  back  without  seam  and  cut 
to  fit  the  ankle. 

DANIEL  A.  MERTZ  was  born  in  Mifflin  County,  Penn.,  July  31, 
1836,  and  is  the  son  of  Philip  and  Lydia  (Showers)  Mertz,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  Philip  Mertz.  a  resident  now  of  this  State,  is  upward  of 
seventy-seven  years  of  age ;  his  wife  died  April  18,  1882,  aged  sixty-nine 
years.  Daniel  A.  Mertz  was  reared  on  a  farm  until  eighteen  years  old, 
and  then  was  apprenticed  to  a  carriage  and  wagon-maker,  whom  he  served 
nearly  three  years,  and  afterward  ran  a  shop  of  his  own  for  twelve  years. 
He  was  married,  December  24,  1863,  to  Miss  Sarah,  one  of  the  thirteen 
children  born  to  John  and  Mary  (Sansman)  Sieber,  and  born  in  Juniata 
County  Penn.,  December  24,  1835.  To  this  union  were  born  five  chil- 
dren— Edward  S.,  John  P.  (deceased),  David  F.,  William  M.  and  Charles 
Milton.  In  1864,  Mr.  Mertz  came  to  this  township,  and  located  the  farm 
on  which  he  now  lives ;  but  during  the  first  three  years  followed  his  trade 
in  Burnettsville,  meanwhile  overseeing  his  farm.  He  has  now  120  acres, 
well  improved,  with  good  buildings,  which  are  worth  upward  of  |3,000. 
The  father  of  Mrs.  Mertz  died  in  January,  1867 ;  her  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing, at  the  age  of  eighty-one,  on  the  old  homestead  in  Juniata  County^ 
Penn.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mertz  are  members  of  the  German  Baptist 
Church. 

FRANK  M.  MILLION  was  born  in  this  township,  on  Section  24, 
June  19,  1841,  and  is  the  son  of  Ephraim  and  Martha  (Ellmore)  Million, 
who  came  to  this  township  in  the  fall  of  1839.  The  father  was  killed  by 
a  runaway  team  in  1847  ;  the  mother  still  survives,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two.  Frank  M.  was  reared  a  farmer,  and  hired  a  portion  of  the  old  farm, 
which  he  tilled  until  1865,  when  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  wild  land. 
A  few  years  later  he  exchanged  this  land  for  104  acres  in  the  southwest 
quarter  of  Section  13,  on  which  he  now  lives.  This  property  he  subse- 
quently exchanged  for  goods,  and  for  .a  year  engaged  in  merchandising 
in  Burnettsville,  and  then  re-exchanged,  increased  the  farm,  sold  120 
acres,  and  still  retains  120  acres.  In  1860,  Mr.  M.  engaged  in  the  pump, 
and  afterward  in  the  tubular  well  business ;  he  is  also  selling  the  wind 
engine  manufactured  by  B.  S.  Williams  &  Co.,  of  Kalamazoo,  and  the 
Stover  engine.  He  was  married,  October  4,  1860,  to  Miss  Katie  E. 
Hoagland,  born  in  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  April  7,  1842,  and 
daughter  of  Abraham  and  Cornelia  Hoagland,  natives  of  the  same  State. 
To  this  union  there  have  been  born  six  children — Charlie,  Leona,  Floyd^ 
Randolph,  Marilla  and  Frank.  The  two  last-named  are  dead.  Mr.  Mill- 
ion is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has  served  as  Township  Assessor  four 
terms,  and  was  also  elected  County  Land  Appraiser,  but  the  office  wa& 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  325 

abolished  before  the  time  arrived  for  his  incumbency.  He  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Church  of  God. 

MRS.  PLUMEA  (PERRY)  PALMER  was  born  in  Stanstead,  Can- 
ada, November  18.  1822,  and  is  the  (kughter  of  Luke  and  Irena  (Patrick) 
Perry,  both  natives  of  Vermont,  and  of  English  and  English-Irish  ex- 
traction. The  parents  moved  to  Canada  about  the  year  1800,  where  they 
reared  a  family  of  eleven  children,  and  where  the  father  died  in  1850. 
The  mother  subsequently  joined  her  children  in  this  county,  and  here 
died  about  18G0,  aged  seventy-three.  Mrs,  Pluraea  Palmer  began  school 
teaching  at  home  in  1840,  and  next  taught  at  Waterford,  N.  Y.;  next 
at  Meadville,  Crawford  Co.,  Penn.,  for  seven  years.  At  the  last-named 
place,  she  was  married,  in  1847,  to  Rev.  Truman  Palmer,  who  was  then 
a  student.  The  fall  of  the  same  year,  he  united  with  the  Indiana  M. 
E.  Conference  ;  was  located  in  Allen  County,  later  in  Steuben  County, 
and  then  in  La  Grange  County,  where  he  died  January  14,  1851.  Soon 
after  this  event,  Mrs.  Palmer  moved  to  South  Bend,  where  she  first 
taught  a  private  school,  and  then  for  a  year  in  the  graded  school.  In 
the  fall  of  1852,  she  moved  with  her  little  family  to  Burnettsville,  where 
she  continued  in  her  profession.  It  is  more  than  likely  that  she  has 
taught  more  terms  than  any  other  teacher  in  White  County,  having 
taught  in  the  old  court  house  at  Monticello,  a  number  of  select  schools 
there,  and  in  Lockport,  Carroll  County,  and  the  graded  school  at  Bur- 
nettsville, her  last  term  ending  in  the  summer  of  July,  1879.  Mrs. 
Palmer  is  the  mother  of  two  children — Truman  F.,  an  attorney  at  Mon- 
ticello, and  Emma  A.,  a  teacher  in  the  high  school  at  the  same  place. 

URIAH  PATTON  was  born  in  Montgomery  County,  Ohio,  August 
1,  1823,  and  is  one  of  the  ten  children  born  to  Thomas  and  Mary 
(Horine)  Patton,  natives  of  Maryland,  and  born  respectively  January  17, 
1789,  and  March  4,  1791.  The  parents  settled  in  Montgomery  County 
in  1816,  and  moved  thence  to  Cilrroll  County,  Ind.,  in  1835,  where  the 
father  died  in  1855,  aged  sixty-six,  and  the  mother  in  1838,  aged  forty- 
seven.  Uriah  Patton  was  reared  as  a  former  in  Carroll  County,  and  there 
attended  the  pioneer  school  at  intervals  until  twenty-one,  when  he  en- 
tered 120  acres  of  his  present  farm  in  this  township.  He  was  married, 
January  3,  1847,  to  Miss  Susan,  daughter  of  John  and  Catharine  (Han- 
nawalt)  Nearhoof,  and  born  in  Huntingdon  County,  Penn.,  September 
25,  1825.  To  this  union  were  born  nine  children,  six  now  living — 
Isaac,  Jerusha,  Lovina,  Perry,  Levi  and  Margaret  A.  Those  deceased 
are  William  (aged  twenty-three  years),  Monroe  (aged  thirteen  months), 
and  an  infant  unnamed.  Mr.  Patton  is  the  owner  of  a  farm  of  280 
acres,  under  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  He  lost  his  dwelling  by  fire 
April  18,  1880,  and  on  the  23d  of  June  following  moved  into  his  present 


326  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES: 

house,  which  cost  him  $1,200.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Patton  joined  the  Church 
of  God  in  1850,  and  in  the  spring  of  1855  Mr.  P.  was  chosen  a  minister, 
and  has  since  been  preaching  regularly — the  first  few  years  riding  a  cir- 
cuit of  fifty  miles — and  has  never  received  a  dollar  for  his  services.  He 
is  a  Republican,  and  has  filled  the  office  of  Township  Trustee. 

WILLIAM  H.  PRICE  was  born  in  this  township  May  17,  1847, 
and  is  the  son  of  Aaron  and  Mary  (Hancock)  Price,  natives  of  Ohio. 
The  parents  came  to  this  township  in  1845,  and  settled  two  and  a  half 
miles  northeast  of  Idaville,  where  they  lived  thirty  years,  and  then 
moved  to  Idaville,  where  the  father  died  January  30,  1882.  The  mother 
survives  at  the  age  of  sixty-six.  William  H.  Price  was  reared  a  farmer, 
and  was  married,  January  1,  1867,  to  Miss  Mahala  C.  Shull,  born  in  this 
township  October  5,  1848,  and  daughter  of  Louis  and  Clementine  (York) 
Shull,  natives  of  Ohio.  To  this  union  were  born  seven  children,  of 
whom  five  are  living — Burley  G.,  Aaron,  Alonzo-W.,  Harlan  H.  and 
Gracie  L.  After  marriage,  Mr.  Price  farmed  on  rented  land  for  six 
years,  and  then  purchased  eighty  acres  on  Section  10,  which  he  has 
redeemed  and  improved  with  substantial  buildings.  Mr,  Price  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics,  and  he  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Church  of 
God. 

J.  T.  REIFF  was  born  in  Chester  County,  Penn.,  September  18, 
1832,  and  is  the  third  of  the  ten  children  born  to  Christian  and  Eliza- 
beth (Titelow)  Reiff,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Christian  ReiiF  is 
the  inventor  of  a  clover  huller,  which  for  years  has  held  a  leading  position, 
and  he  is  also  the  patentee  of  a  combined  grain  thresher  and  clover  huller. 
For  many  years  he  was  at  the  head  of  the  C.  H.  Reiff"  Manufacturing 
Company,  Union  County,  Penn.,  which  closed  operations  in  1878.  He 
now  resides  in  Carroll  County,  Ind.,  aged  seventy-nine  years.  J.  T. 
Reiff"  assisted  his  father  at  farming  and  manufacturing  until  1861 ;  then 
ran  a  tannery  at  McVeytown,  Penn.,  for  eighteen  months;  then  returned 
to  his  father's  factory  near  Hartleton,  Penn,,  and  kept  the  accounts  until 
1868  :  then  ran  a  tannery  at  Hartleton  until  1870,  when  he  sold  and 
accompanied  his  father  to  Tennessee,  and  two  years  later  came  to  this 
county,  and  the  following  spring  bought  his  present  farm  of  200  acres, 
on  which  he  has  erected  new  buildings  and  a  wind  engine,  and  a  bank 
barn  40x80  feet,  containing  fifty  windows,  being  the  second  largest  in 
the  county.  His  real  estate  is  worth  about  $12,000  and  his  personal 
property  about  |2,000.  He  was  married,  May  3,  1859,  to  Miss  Eliza- 
beth, the  daughter  of  David  and  Esther  Kleckner,  and  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania October  18,  1834,  and  by  this  union